Denial
by RavennaNightwind
Summary: Takes place right when the Season 8 finale finishes. Major spoilers. Don't read if you haven't seen the season finale. Summary inside. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Denial

**Denial**

**Summary: **

Warrick was shot in the Season finale. But, what happens if Warrick wasn't killed? This story starts right where the episode ends, with Warrick shot in the throat and shot again in an unspecified location. Please understand that this is AU.

**Ships: **Warrick/Catherine, Grissom/Sara, and friendship all around.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own CSI. Or CBS. I only wish I did.

**A/N: **I called this story "Denial" because I am proudly in denial. I refuse to believe that he is dead. So, this is my version of things. And, I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in medical info. Honestly, I'm a high schooler and I am not in anatomy or anything. I wrote this also because it has been in my head since they rolled the credits on Thursday's episode. So, now I'll write it. Oh yeah, and I don't know the Undersherif's name, so I'm making one up.

Chapter One

Warrick was sitting in his car, the blood dripping down his neck and his right arm. It hurt… The pain was almost unbearable. The undersherif shot him. He could barely breath. His chest hurt from the bullet hole. He flicked on his headlights, desperate to alert someone of his presence.

Warrick's vision was fading and he was having trouble staying awake. The world was swimming as he thought about his life. His ex-wife. His one regret. Especially when Catherine found out. He had been stupid. He had thought he loved the woman, but he ended up breaking the heart of the woman he really loved. Catherine had looked so shocked and hurt when she found out. It broke his heart to see her like that.

He also remembered Holly. The girl who could've been great. She was killed on his watch, like the detective had said. But, was her death a blessing in disguise? Her death led to Sara's arrival. And Sara had taught Grissom the heartless how to love. He thought about Sara and Grissom and how they had dated even though it was completely against the rules. But, Warrick had never been brave enough. So, he was now dying, regretting never being something more to Catherine.

And it hurt more than the bullets to know that he would never hold Catherine again.

CSICSICSI

Nick looked at the waitress again. She was a pretty redhead. And, he liked her. He watched her pour coffee for the diners and considered asking her out. He checked his watch and wondered when she would get off work. He shook his head.

_I'd better get home, _he thought, knowing that he would be tired if he didn't head home soon. So, he stood and pushed the door open. He saw a car with its lights on in an alley. The car seemed to be unoccupied. Nick, being the good person that he is, walked over to the car. He saw someone slumped over on the steering wheel.

"Hey," he went to knock on the window and saw glass on the ground. "Hey!" he shouted, urgent. He recognized the person when he was closer. "Oh my god…" he whispered and grabbed his phone off his belt. He called 9-1-1. "Officer down on the corner of 67th and South Street!" he opened the door and Warrick slumped towards him. "Rick, hey, wake up!" Warrick groaned. Nick almost sobbed in relief.

He waited three grueling minutes to hear sirens. "Come on, buddy, just a little longer…" Nick had pulled Warrick out of the car and had him lying on his back. There was a hole through his neck and a hole in his chest. He pressed on the chest wound, praying that it had missed anything vital. Tears were in his eyes as he prayed that his friend wouldn't die. Thirty seconds after he heard the sirens, he saw the vehicles approach. Two EMT's hopped out of the Ambulance and ran over to the two CSIs.

They shoved Nick out of the way and placed him on a stretcher. The EMTs brought Warrick into the ambulance, working the entire time. Nick joined them and the ambulance drove off. The older of the EMTs bandaged Warrick's chest while the other dealt with his neck. The older man finished first and hooked him up to an IV and fed him blood. "Do you know his blood type?" he demanded of Nick.

Nick's eyes were wide with fear for his friend's life as he stared at the man. "Well?"

"A positive."

The man nodded and went back to Warrick. It seemed to take hours before they arrived at the hospital. Warrick was wheeled out of the ambulance and into the hospital. Nick ran beside Warrick for as long as he could. The doctors stopped him at the doors to a surgical room.

Nick walked back to the waiting room. He was terrified as he sat, waiting for word on Warrick Brown.

CSICSICSI

Grissom went home and grabbed his mail from the mailbox. He pulled on the handle of the door and was shocked to have the door open without unlocking it. He suspiciously walked into his home with his guard up. He heard soft breathing and walked into his living room. He couldn't help but smile.

Sara Sidle, the love of his life, was asleep on his couch. She had obviously been waiting for him to come home. Her appearance had made this day even better. First, his team had rescued Warrick from being tried for murder and now his love had returned.

She sat curled up next to the arm of the couch. His forensic magazine was open next to her. Grissom watched her for a second before approaching. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. She looked so peaceful. Her brown eyes opened slowly. She smiled at him.

"I love you," Grissom said.

"I love you, too," Sara replied. "I'm sorry—"

Grissom cut her off. "No need. As long as you're here now." And this is why Sara loved him. He loved her unconditionally. She touched his cheek gently.

"What's wrong?" she could sense that something was wrong.

"Well, Warrick was accused of murder."

"What?" she was shocked.

"Don't worry, we cleared him. But, Ecklie was trying to stonewall us."

Sara made a disgusted noise. "Ecklie. He's _still_ playing politics?"

Grissom nodded. "So, we just had breakfast, but I think the Undersheriff is probably going to demote him."

"Why?"

"Because of Holly."

"Holly? But, that was almost eight years ago!" Sara was shocked.

Grissom's nod was grim. "But, it's better than going to jail." She agreed. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you, too," she replied, her voice equally soft. She leaned into him, enjoying being in his arms again. The couple stayed like that, just breathing and smiling. Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Just like the way it should be.

CSICSICSICSI

Catherine arrived home about twenty minutes after leaving the restaurant. She threw her keys on the table and tossed her purse next to them. She ran a hand through her hair and checked her watch. It was 6:15 am. Lindsey had to be up at 7.

She walked over to her phone and checked her messages. None. She went over to the wall charger for her cell phone and plugged in the phone.

She finished some paper work and woke up Lindsey. The teenager, like all teenagers, did not want to go to school. Catherine waited for her daughter to turn on the shower before she went to bed herself.

CSICSICSI

She slept peacefully. But, her mother had to come and ruin everything. She hated school. Especially all the stupid people who bothered her all day long. She only went to school because her mom wouldn't let her dance if she didn't. So she got up and turned on the shower.

She showered quickly and got dressed. She went to the kitchen to eat breakfast, leaving her hair wet. Lindsey opened the fridge and considered her options just as her mother's phone began to ring. She knew she would never hear it, so she picked it up and answered for her.

"Willows," she said, mimicking her mother's greeting.

"Oh, God, Cath, it's Warrick," the man on the other end of the line seemed distressed. "He was shot, I-I found him…"

"Is he okay?" Lindsey listened for a reply, her exhaustion dissipating.

"I don't know. Oh, Cath, I don't know what to do… He's in surgery…"

"Mom!!" Lindsey headed to her mother's room. Catherine was sound asleep, but bolted upright at the sound of her daughter's distressed tone.

"What?" she asked blearily.

"Warrick's in the hospital! He was shot."

"What!" Catherine stood up and grabbed her cell phone. "What happened?"

"Cath, I am so sorry, I should've walked him to his car, I shouldn't have let this happen…"

"Nicky! What happened?" she demanded again.

"He was shot twice… Once in the chest and once in the neck…"

"What hospital?" Nick told her. "I'll be there as soon as I can, hang in there, Nicky." She hung up the phone.

"I'm coming with you," Lindsey informed her. Catherine nodded absently, grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt. She ran to the bathroom and changed quickly. Lindsey grabbed a glass of orange juice and drank it quickly while her mother changed. She grabbed her mother's purse and keys so they could leave faster.

Catherine came out of her room and the two of them left for the hospital. Halfway there, Catherine remembered something. "Lindsey, call Gil. He'll want to know."

CSICSICSICSI

**A/N: **So, I decided that this was enough for chapter one. And, I apologize for the annoyingly sweet Grissom/Sara scene, but I couldn't help myself… Please review. I'd like to know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Denial

**Denial**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own CSI or CBS.

**A/N: **I hope you liked my last chapter. Here's a new one because I can't get this story out of my head. Please keep in mind that this is AU, and therefore I can make the characters and situations as unrealistic as I want (though I will try to keep them in character and keep things realistic). And, I also know NOTHING about medicine, so I don't know if Warrick could even possibly survive… And, I LOVE reviews. :)

Thank you SOOOO much to all of you who reviewed. You really made me feel so special and loved. Even an order to write more makes me happier than when Sara wasn't dead. But, then I realized she was still leaving, so it was sad…

On with the story!

Chapter Two

The phone rang, startling Grissom and Sara out of sleep. Sara stood and answered the phone before Grissom could get up. "Hello?"

_Is Gil there? _The voice on the other line was young and very familiar.

"Lindsey?"

_Yeah. Who's this?_

"Sara."

_Sara! Warrick was shot! He's in the hospital._

Sara stood there for a second before reacting. "We're on our way. Tell your mom we'll be there soon."

_Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye._

"Bye," she flipped the phone shut. "Gil, Warrick was shot. Let's go." She grabbed his keys and stuffed her feet in her shoes. She pocketed the phone as Grissom followed her.

CSICSICSI

Catherine was _not _in the mood for a traffic jam. She drove quickly and swerved around the other cars. Warrick was in the hospital and _God damnit _she had to be there. Lindsey, who usually said something if she was driving recklessly, glared at the traffic with the same intensity.

The two sat at a stoplight that just wouldn't change. They sat there for what seemed like hours before the light finally changed. Catherine pulled into a parking spot and jumped out of the car. Mother and daughter ran into the hospital, praying for Warrick's life.

CSICSICSI

Nick paced in the waiting room. After being there for twenty minutes, he remembered to call Catherine. He was so confused as he spoke to her… He checked his watch again and could barely make out the time through the blood that was still on him. Only three minutes had passed since he last checked his watch.

He had tried to sit still, but he worried more while sitting. At least while pacing he could think _right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot…_ He continued to concentrate on his steps when the doors to the emergency room were opened. He ignored this and continued his silent chant of _right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. _

His train of thought was interrupted when someone grabbed his arm. He looked up to see the frightened faces of Catherine and Lindsey. "Cath!" he cried and threw himself into her arms.

"Shh," Catherine said soothingly. Nick was acting like a lost child and she easily stepped into the role of "mother." "Tell me what happened, Nicky," she told him gently.

"I was going to ask out the waitress at the restaurant… And then I decided not to. So I went outside and there was a car… Its lights were on and I went to see if the person was okay and it was Warrick. He was shot." He stopped to breath and to stop the tears that threatened to fall. "I pulled him out of the car and called for help… He's in surgery right now…"

Catherine comforted Nick as he clung to her, lost. Catherine whispered for her daughter to talk to a nurse. Lindsey nodded and went over to the desk. "Excuse me," she said to the woman at the desk.

The woman looked up and took in the blonde teenager with a look of slight disgust. "Yes?"

"You had a patient brought in here recently suffering from two gunshot wounds?"

"And?" the woman seemed bored and disinterested.

"I was wondering if you could tell me about his condition."

"You family?"  
"Yes."

"Uh-huh," the woman was skeptical. She looked through the charts on her desk. "What's his name?"

"Warrick Brown."

"Hm," the nurse was aggravatingly slow. "Here it is. Says here his race is African American. How're you related?" the woman's eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

"He's my dad." The woman's eyebrows shot up as she took in Lindsey's blonde hair. "Step dad."

"Right. Well, he's still in critical condition."

"Thank you," Lindsey said, not meaning a word, and headed back to Nick and Catherine, who were now sitting.

"Well?"

"Critical condition. The nurse wouldn't tell me anything else. She didn't want to tell me anything because she didn't think I was 'family'."

"We're more of his family than his real family," Nick said quietly.

"What'd you tell her?" Catherine ignored Nick's comment.

"I told her that he was my step dad." Catherine's eyebrow rose. "What? I got the information."

Catherine decided to deal with it later. She waited for news about Warrick impatiently. According to Nick, he had been here for at least an hour, though Nick wasn't quite sure. "Hey, Nick," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe… Maybe you should go wash your hands." Nick stared at his hands as if seeing the blood for the first time. He nodded and left, heading for the bathroom.

Nick washed his hands furiously. It disturbed him to see Warrick's blood covering his hands and arms. He checked his clothes for blood and only found a few flecks. He washed those off, too.

CSICSICSI

Sara drove Grissom to the hospital. She drove much faster than usual, hoping that she wouldn't have to attend her friend's funeral. Grissom sat, staring out the window, and thought about Warrick. He had always liked Warrick. Eight years ago, when Holly Gribbs was killed, he refused to fire him. He had always stood up for him. And Warrick was—no, is—a great CSI. The team would suffer a great loss if he were demoted. Or died. But, Grissom refused to let that scenario enter his mind.

He watched the lights of Vegas pass by. This was his home, and Warrick's home. Warrick had grown up here. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life thinking about how he could've saved Warrick if he had only stayed a bit longer…. But, what's done is done. There was nothing he could do now except for hope and pray that his CSI would not die.

CSICSICSI

The surgeons operated on Warrick. They had been operating for almost an hour. The man on the table was under anesthetics. The team worked hard to save the man's life. To them, he was just "the patient". They didn't know his name or his job or his reason for being shot. All they knew was that they were going to try to save them with everything they had.

They knew that the patient was blood type A positive and that he didn't have any allergies. They pulled the bullet out of his chest with great difficulty. The bullet had lodged itself between two of his ribs and his sternum. The two ribs were fractured and his sternum was cracked. If they had gotten to him faster, there would be a very high chance of survival.

However, he had been bleeding for an undetermined length of time. The major issue was to sew him up before he could bleed out. Two surgeons had worked on the man's neck while the other three dealt with blood pressure and extracting the bullet from the man's chest. They worked rigorously to save his life.

The hole in the right side of his neck had come close to severing an artery, but no major damage was done. The hole on the left side of his neck had missed anything vital. The bullet had barely missed the man's voice box. The surgeons deemed him "lucky." But, how lucky could a guy who had been shot twice be?

They repaired the damage done to his chest slower. They had difficulty removing the bullet because it had almost buried itself in the man's sternum. They had to carefully and slowly remove the bullet so that they wouldn't cause any other damage. After finally removing the bullet, they placed it in an evidence jar. They were sure that the police would want it.

They finished sewing him up. An IV full of A positive blood was fed to him to hopefully replenish the blood the man had lost when shot. They cleaned him up a bit before leaving surgery. Nurses came and took him to an empty room.

CSICSICSI

Sara and Grissom had arrived several minutes ago. After the initial shock of seeing Sara, they all sat to wait. None of them spoke. Out of all of them, it was hard to tell who was the most distressed. Nick was still in shock of finding Warrick bleeding to death. Lindsey looked terrified that she would lose Warrick since he had always been like an uncle to her.

Grissom was stressed and continuously ran his fingers through his hair. Sara looked guilty. She hadn't said a proper goodbye to anyone, really. All she had done was left Gil with a kiss and a note. And Catherine looked scared.

She was scared that she would never laugh with Warrick. She was scared that she would never kiss him again. And she was scared that she would never tell him that he could call her, day or night, if he ever needed anything.

Finally, as the Sun finally cleared the horizon, a nurse came out. "I'm looking for the family of Warrick Brown?"

The group stood quickly. The nurse raised her eyebrows at the large group. "How is he?" Catherine demanded impatiently.

"The doctors say that he's stable. He has just come out of surgery. He's a lucky guy. Two bullets and they both missed anything vital." The entire group sighed with relief. "You can come see him. But only five minutes and then only one of you can stay." They all nodded. "I'll show you to his room."

The nurse led them down a hallway. They passed other doors with numbers on them. They stopped at the room marked "743". "He'll still be out," the nurse warned. They all nodded but they didn't really care. They only cared that Warrick was okay.

Warrick lay on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. He also had a tube coming out of his mouth. The sight of him lying there, okay, made Catherine nearly cry with relief. His neck was bandaged and so was his chest. The team spent five minutes with him before the nurse came back to kick them out.

They all looked at each other before they decided who would stay. "Cath," Grissom said with a small smile, "you stay. Nicky, you too. Sara and I will bring Lindsey to school." Lindsey nodded in agreement.

Catherine sat next to the bed as Sara, Grissom, and Lindsey left. She took his right hand carefully in both of hers. Nick sat on the other side and they waited. Eventually, both of them fell asleep.

CSICSICSI

The first thing he felt was pain. His neck ached and his chest hurt. It hurt even more when he tried to breath deeply. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. He felt something soft and warm in his right hand. He slowly tried to open his eyes. He cringed when the lights burned his eyes.

After a second, he could see. He looked around. Nick on his left, sound asleep in a chair, leaning back with his mouth wide open. To his right was Catherine. He smiled. Her hand was in his and she was sleeping in another chair. But, her head was on his bed with her blonde hair splayed over the sheets.

The pain vanished as he watched the woman he loved sleep.

**A/N: **I thought I'd end it there. There is no way I could kill Warrick, so he lives! And, I just noticed that I totally forgot about Greg. Ooops. He'll be in soon. Oh yes, and this chapter is just the start. Next chapter will be about finding the evidence against the Undersheriff (cue dramatic music). And, I have finals this week, so don't expect an update until the weekend. I know, who needs school? But, I really want good grades so I can write during the summer.

REVIEWS ARE LOVED! You know you want to review… :D


	3. Chapter 3

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **I should be studying for my Math final tomorrow, but who needs Algebra? I mean, it's not like I'll ever use permutations again. I would like to thank EVERYONE who read, reviewed, or alerted my story! It really makes me smile when I see that someone reviewed my story. I was going to reply to all of the reviews, but fanfiction wasn't letting me review anything, so I just want you to know I appreciate all your reviews!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own CSI. Or CBS. If I did, well, clearly Warrick wouldn't be dead.

I promise Greg is in this chapter!!

**Chapter Three:**

It was the second to last week of school. Lindsey kept tapping her pen against her paper. Her teacher was going over the things that she would have to know on her final ((because teachers all want their students to suffer the evil finals)). She couldn't focus ((sounds like me…)). She kept worrying about Warrick.

She had known Warrick for such a long time. When her mom and dad fought over her, he would bring her with him to go play a game so that she didn't know. Over the years, she learned that Warrick had protected her from the arguments of her parents, which could ruin anyone's childhood.

Warrick had always been there. If she needed to talk to someone after her dad died, he was the one she went to. Sure, there was Grissom, but he was too logical. Warrick was much better to talk to about these things. Especially if she was arguing with her mom.

Her teacher wrote math problems on the board. Lindsey copied them down before getting lost in thought again. Warrick had never been mean or raised his voice at her. He had listened to her as she ranted about how _unfair _her mother was. And all he did was listen.

Warrick always knew when to listen, when to interrupt, when to advise. He never judged. She could've told him that she was planning on killing her mother and he could talk her out of it. She trusted Warrick. He had been like her other father.

But, now he lay in a hospital bed. The doctors said that he was stable, but that could change easily. She looked at the clock again. 2:40. School would be out in an hour. She had one more class to struggle through before she could go back to the hospital.

She continued to tap her pen on her notes. Finally, at 2:42, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Lindsey gathered up her papers and went to her next class. It was just as torturous to sit in her history class.

CSICSICSICSI

Catherine and Nick were still asleep as Lindsey was taking notes. Warrick had fallen back asleep after waking up earlier in the morning. He woke up again, confused. He blinked, the bright sun causing him pain. Since he worked the night shift, he had learned how to sleep in bright light. But that didn't make opening his eyes less painful.

After a moment, the pain lessened and he could fully open his eyes. He was in the hospital. But, he couldn't remember why. They were at a restaurant… Catherine kissed him goodbye and Nick offered to go grab a beer… He had declined and left. He got in the car…

He shook his head. What had happened after that that had placed him in the hospital? He closed his eyes and tried to remember. He looked down and saw his bandaged chest. He felt something constricting his throat. He reached up to find another bandage. Confused, he looked around.

Catherine still lay sound asleep on the bed, holding his hand. Nick had sunk down on his chair and stretched out his legs, snoring lightly. An IV ran from his arm to a bag of some sort of clear solution. He couldn't read the label from his angle, but he assumed it was saline. Warrick wore a hospital gown and an ID bracelet, but nothing else.

He sighed and cringed. It hurt to breath fully. He thought back to when he had gotten in the car. His memory was fuzzy, but he remembered talking to… someone. He couldn't remember whom. And, then he remembered the pain. And then, more pain. He had flicked on his lights…

His memory was blank until Nick pulled him out of the car and tried to save him. He only remembered his thoughts about Catherine and his regrets… Then the ambulance. But, everything else was a blank until he had woken up to find Catherine and Nick in his hospital room.

Warrick looked around, searching for a clock. He found one on the other end of the room. The time was 2:53. He assumed it was pm and decided to let Nick and Catherine sleep some more. He fell asleep within ten minutes.

CSICSICSICSI

Greg was at the airport. He had just made a deal to publish his book when Grissom had called him and told him about Warrick. So, Greg shock hands, signed a contract, and caught the next plane out to Vegas. But, he was stopped by airport security. He was one of those people who had to suffer through checks so the airport personnel could practice searching people.

They searched him when he went through the first security check. They confiscated his toothpaste because, in his haste, he had forgotten to put it in his suitcase. They made him take off his shoes and scanned them too. Greg was really tempted to tell them that he could take down a plane with something the size of a dollar bill that could be easily missed, but he didn't, knowing that it would cause him even more problems.

The person who was monitoring the scanner seemed to have found something in his carry-on. It was a memory card for his camera. Apparently, they thought it was some sort of bomb. This delayed him further. Finally, he dug through his wallet and produced his CSI badge. Suddenly, they were all willing to help out another "defender of the country." Yes. One of them had actually said that.

But, by the time he got to his gate, the airplane was gone. He waited five hours for the next flight, all the while worrying about Warrick.

CSICSICSI

Catherine woke up. She watched Warrick for a moment, neither of them moving. But, she sat up, knowing that other people could come to visit at any given moment. She ran her free hand through her hair, but she still held on to Warrick.

Nick was still asleep. Poor guy, he must've worked himself into exhaustion after he brought Warrick to the hospital. A nurse came in and checked Warrick's vitals. "Are you the family?" she whispered.

"Yes," Catherine replied. After all, they were all family.

"Well, he seems to be doing well. He should make a full recovery. When he wakes up, will you press the call button? We can take the tube out of his mouth so he can talk. However, the doctors aren't sure if he'll be able to talk right away. The bullet only narrowly missed his vocal cords, so he should be okay in the long run."

Catherine nodded in reply. She squeezed Warrick's hand gently. To her surprise, he squeezed back. "Warrick?" she whispered gently.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. The nurse took the tube out of his mouth, waking up Nick in the process. The Texan rubbed his eyes sleepily. He smiled when he saw that Warrick was awake. The nurse hooked him up to oxygen by his nose ((I don't know what the tubes are called)) and left with a knowing smile.

"Hey," Nick was the first to speak. He stood up and clapped Warrick gently on the shoulder. "How do you feel, man?"

"Like I've been hit by a car," Warrick's voice was almost inaudible. Warrick grew serious as he placed his hand over Nick's. "Thank you for saving me. I remember you pulling me out of the car."

"No need, you're my friend. And, I'm sure you would've done the same."

Warrick smiled and nodded, knowing that he didn't need word to convey his thanks. "Well," Nick said, "I am going to grab some coffee. I'll be back in five minutes." He left the room.

"That wasn't subtle," Catherine remarked sarcastically. Warrick laughed silently. They looked at each other and Catherine began to cry.

"C'mere," Warrick whispered. She obeyed and he pulled her into a hug, gently stroking her hair. "Shh…"

"I'm sorry, I just… I was worried that you wouldn't make it…" she apologized, wiping her eyes at the same time.

"It's okay. I was so scared when I thought I would never see you again."

She gave him a watery smile. "Really?"

He nodded. "I was scared when Nick called me. Lindsey's worried too."

He smiled. It pained him slightly to talk and he had discovered that anything above a whisper was impossible. "Grissom and Sara were here earlier."

"Yeah?" he was surprised that Sara was back.

"Yeah. Sara and Grissom told me to tell you that they'd be back later. They wanted to head to the lab at five to talk to the day shift to find out about your shooting…" she noticed the pained look that crossed his face when she mentioned his shooting and instantly regretted saying anything. "I'm sorry—"

He cut her off, placing his finger on her lips gently. He desperately wanted to make her stop feeling bad. His pain caused her pain. And her pain caused him pain. So Warrick decided to make her feel better. He slowly leaned forward and Catherine responded, moving forward herself.

She moved closer to him until their foreheads touched. Tears of happiness glistened in both of their eyes. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered. Warrick just nodded. He tilted his head and gently placed his lips on hers. She kissed him back, sweetly.

Lindsey stood at the door, having just arrived at the hospital. She saw her mother kiss Warrick and smiled. _About time, Mom._

**A/N: **Okay, this chapter is kind of short, but oh well. I thought that was a good place to end the chapter! Next chapter will be mainly Sara, Grissom, and Greg (who I promise not to forget again!) looking for Warrick's shooter. And, did I mention that this was AU, because it is. I have no idea what the relationship between Lindsey and Warrick is like, so I invented my own. And, I like Lindsey and I wish she was on the show more often because she's hardly ever mentioned…

Please review!!


	4. Chapter 4

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Sorry for the gap in updates. I meant to update yesterday, but I had family stuff to do. No more school!! That means that you should expect an update every other day or so. It may be more or less frequent depending on what I'm doing. Thank you for all the reviews!! I don't think that there will be any Catherine, Warrick, Lindsey, or Nick in this chapter, but we'll see. Oh yeah, and there will be a few choice curse words in this chapter… Um, sorry for those, they reflect my thoughts and feelings on the stupid Undersheriff…

**NOTE: **this chapter takes place simultaneously with the last one, so keep that in mind

**Chapter Four:**

Grissom and Sara had just dropped Lindsey off at school. They headed to the scene. Yellow crime tape shone in the early morning sun. Ecklie and his minions were processing the scene. Ecklie's bald-on-top head glinted, making him easy to spot. The two of them exited the Tahoe and joined the throng of observers.

Warrick's car sat in the middle of the cordoned off area. Shattered glass from the driver's side window lay on the ground, reflecting the occasional flash of a camera. Grissom's pulse quickened as he looked at the blood on the ground. Warrick's blood. They had to catch this guy. He knew that he could depend on the night shift, and Sara, to help him find this bastard.

Ecklie spotted Sara and Grissom. He did a double take when he saw Sara. The politically motivated supervisor walked over to them, camera in hand. "Grissom, Sidle, I see that you've heard about Brown," he said in that oily voice of his.

"Yes. We've heard."

"Do you know his condition?" Grissom and Sara exchanged glances.

Sara replied after a moment. "He's stable. Catherine and Nick are with him at the hospital." Ecklie opened his mouth to say something, but Grissom continued where Sara left off.

"He won't be able to talk, Conrad. He was shot in the throat, so he needs time to recover."

"I see," Ecklie nodded his annoying little head. "I guess we'll send someone to get his statement later."

"Good choice," Grissom told him. His eyes surveyed the scene for an instant before returning to Ecklie's face. "What do you have so far?"

"Well, Brown was hit with two bullets. We have officers canvassing the scene for witnesses. Who found him? I heard that the Good Samaritan went with him to the hospital."

"You're right," Sara said. "Nick found him bleeding out in the car. He called nine-one-one and an ambulance came."

"Stokes?" Ecklie sighed. "Is he the only witness?"

"So far," Grissom said, almost completely ignored Ecklie as he watched the day shift process the scene. One CSI was digging a bullet out of the wall of the alley while another dusted the passenger's side for prints.

Ecklie shook his head. "First, Brown is accused of murder. Then, we find out that he was being framed. And now, someone tried to kill him. What a crappy day this has been for Brown."

Sara fixed the supervisor with a glare. She wanted to hit him for saying what he did. It wasn't what he _said _that annoyed her, it was the way he said it. As if he found it amusing. And that made her want to punch his lights out. But, she needed Ecklies wits (what few he had) about him if he was going to find the bastard who did this to Warrick. So, a glare had to suffice.

Grissom watched as they dug out a single bullet. He wished he could look at it closer. The CSI dusting for prints came up with nothing. It discouraged him slightly, but they still had Warrick and they knew that he would identify the man who tried to kill him.

Ecklie was talking. To Grissom. Grissom blinked twice and turned to look at the day shift supervisor. "Yes?" he asked, attempting to be polite.

"I was saying, you can look over the evidence—but _no touching_—when we process it back at the lab."

"Thank you, Conrad." He turned to Sara, "Let's go."

CSICSICSICSICSI

Greg disembarked at 12:30. He was finally back in Las Vegas. He had to go back through security (which made him twitch) before he could finally leave. He practically ran out to the parking lot, cramming his fedora onto his head as he went. He opened his car door and jumped inside.

He drove quickly, but just under the speed limit. He called Grissom for an update.

_Grissom,_ the voice on the other end answered. But, that definitely wasn't Grissom.

"Um, Sara?" he ventured a guess at who would answer Grissom's phone.

She laughed. _Yeah. Gil's driving and I also stole his phone._

_You did not steal it!_ Grissom's voice could be heard in the background. _I _allowed _you to borrow it._

_Oh, sorry, Greggo, I borrowed it._

Greg smiled. The two of them sounded lighthearted. That seemed like a good sign. "So, Warrick's okay?"

_Yeah, _Sara told him. _He's stable. Nick and Catherine are with him right now. The doctors said that he should be fine. _

"That's great." His smile grew as he breathed a sigh of relief.

_So, Greg, what took you so long to call?_

Greg's smile vanished and he groaned. _Airport that bad?_

"You have no idea. I was 'that guy'. You know, the one they choose to pick on for the entire duration of the airport run." More laughter from Sara. He could hear her cover the phone and tell something to Grissom. He joined in on the laughter too. "Oh, haha. Very funny, Sara. It was aggravating! They made me miss my first flight!"

_Really? Why didn't you just flash your badge? _

"I finally did. But, it was too late. I missed my flight by five minutes."

Wow. Well, Greg, you should go home and catch some sleep. There's nothing you can do until day shift has processed the evidence or until visiting hours begin. So, sleep until about three. Visiting hours are four till six.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you then."

Yeah, see you then, Greggo.

Greg smiled at the use of his nickname. It was silly, but he loved it. The team was the only people who ever called him that. He pulled into the parking lot of his building and went to his apartment. He unlocked his door and flicked on his lights. A quick scan told him that everything was in place.

He took off his favorite fedora and put it on a coat rack that held no coats. Instead, there was his CSI vest (which he never wore. It totally clashed with his style. But, one never knew when they needed it…), his fedora (which he had just replaced), his CSI hat (which he hardly ever wore. I mean, it was ridiculous, too. I mean, he worked the _night _shift and would never need to shade his eyes from the sun), and his camera bag (which he used all the time.).

He threw his keys on the counter and opened his fridge. Man, he was _starved_. The planes didn't feed passengers anymore. He pulled out some bread and put it in the toaster. He pulled out a jar of his favorite creamy peanut butter. As he cooked (yeah, he did consider making toast "cooking"), he checked his messages. Nothing.

He slept after eating his peanut butter toast until three.

CSICSICSICSI

The Undersheriff, Ben Carlson, sat at his desk. He had just been informed that Warrick Brown was in the hospital. He cursed after replacing the phone in the cradle. "Stupid bastard… I thought I killed you!!" he whispered furiously.

His plans had fallen apart. He had abandoned the gun in a nearby dumpster and had been _sure _to kill Warrick when the day shift would catch the scene. Ecklie would _not _implicate the Undersheriff in any way. He was a kiss-ass who played politics. And, the best part was that Grissom couldn't touch the case. If he could, he would be worried. But, he couldn't. And that made him feel a little better. But just a bit.

He sat at his large desk in his spacious office and thought about a backup plan. Brown would obviously identify him as the attacker. And that couldn't do. He could threaten the CSI. Or bribe him. But, what could he use as leverage? He had divorced his wife, so he couldn't have her, I don't know, "accidentally" go missing or something. Well, he could, but Brown probably wouldn't care too much.

He buried his head in his hands. He had to think of something. The Undersheriff rubbed his temples. He had to find some sort of leverage on Brown. Something that would make him lose his credibility or refuse to testify. Killing him was the easiest way to get rid of him, but he had failed when he tried to kill him. And that frustrated him. Now everything was much more complicated. Hopefully he wouldn't remember what had happened. But, he knew that Brown's memory would be back. If not today, then tomorrow.

Carlson massaged his neck, trying to relax. He just couldn't. Brown was going to put him in jail for attempted murder. All because he was on someone's payroll… He shook his head. He refused to lose to this stupid CSI. He knew nothing. Brown was only annoying because he was like a dog with a bone. He wouldn't just let it be. He had found the man who tried to frame him, but it wasn't enough.

He would've been great to have on his side, but Brown was straight laced. Sure, he broke a few rules sometimes, but it was nothing big. Nothing that said "I'm ready to get paid off to break rules". And _that _pissed off the Undersheriff. He had warned him by killing that girl. But, did he get the message? No. And then, he had him framed for murder.

Grissom and his team had gotten in the way of that. They had to go and ruin all his plans by figuring it out. Wait… That's it! The team! He smiled viciously. There had to be someone on the team that he was particularly close to. He could use their well being against Brown. It could _make _him forget who had shot him. Carlson looked up and his smile widened. There had to be somebody who he could ask subtly.

This could actually work out for him. He could frame someone else with the attempted murder of Brown. And Brown would back him up on it! Maybe things weren't so bad after all.

CSICSICSICSI

Sara and Grissom picked Lindsey up right after school. She jumped into the back of their car, wasting no time talking to friends. "Have you heard more about Warrick?" she asked immediately.

"No, but he's still stable," Sara answered.

Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worrying all day about Warrick. They drove back to the hospital and arrived at 3:55. The same stony eyed nurse that Lindsey had talked to early that morning sat at the desk. She looked the three of them over and said, "Visiting hours aren't until four."

Lindsey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. They sat in the hard plastic chairs of the waiting room. Greg entered a minute or so later looking tired.

"Greg!" Lindsey jumped up and hugged the youngest CSI.

"Hey, Lindsey!" he said with just as much enthusiasm. Greg acted like a teenager most of the time, so they got along well. Lindsey had always thought of Greg as the "cool uncle" she never had. He hugged her tightly, picking her up and spinning her. They both laughed.

Sara watched them, amused. Grissom just glanced at his watch. Finally, it was four o'clock. Lindsey was the first down the hallway. She dashed to Warrick's room and almost crashed into Nick. Nick smiled broadly at the four of them. "He's awake," he told them.

Smiles spread through the group. All of them were happy that their friend—no, he wasn't a friend, he was family—was okay. While the adults talked about Warrick's condition, Lindsey slipped past them. She walked to Warrick's door just in time to see her mother kiss him.

Her smile, if possible, got even bigger. _About time, Mom._

**A/N: **Okay, this chapter is kind of short, but I couldn't think of anything else to put in it… So, that's what everyone else was doing while the last chapter took place. See, I even remembered Greg this time! Oh, and who can tell that I hate Ecklie? He makes me cringe every time he comes on screen… I must admit that for a LONG time, I didn't know that "Conrad" was his first name. I thought it was his like… title. Like, Lieutenant or something. So, I felt really stupid when I realized it was his first name because it sounds so… awkward. I hope he was made fun of as a child for it! (not really…)

REVIEW!! Please? Reviews make me smile…


	5. Chapter 5

**Denial**

**A/N:** Okay, so, I know I haven't updated as frequently as I wanted. And, I am REALLY sorry for that. But, I do have friends and family and stuff to do. However, I am soooo happy that I decided to write. I got my grades back Friday night. I was at my friend's house, so I didn't see them until yesterday. And, guess what! I passed EVERYTHING!! With a 92.5 average! Yay me! (okay, so you don't care, but I do…) Okay, enough about me and my pointless life.

**NOTE: I found out the undersheriff's last name. So, he will now be known as Ben McKeen because I still don't know his first name. **

**Chapter Five:**

Catherine and Warrick pulled apart, both looking a little flushed. Just then, Lindsey made a big, and loud, appearance. She cried, "Warrick!!" before running over to the hospital bed and hugging Warrick enthusiastically. He smiled and hugged her back with his left arm. A few seconds after Lindsey and Warrick had finished their hug, Greg came in.

"Oh, man, Warrick, I am _so _sorry! It's just, I was in California and I had to catch the later flight because of the line in security and—"

Warrick, Catherine, and Lindsey all laughed at Greg's breathless apology. "Don't worry about it, Greg," Warrick whispered. "I wasn't even awake until a few minutes ago."

"Oh," the younger man said, turning an interesting shade of pink. After a brief pause, he spoke up again. "So, how do you feel?"

"Like I've been stabbed with a knife through my throat with a rusty spoon and that I was run over by a steam roller. But, other than that, I'm fine."

"Were they able to get the bullet?" Grissom asked from the doorway.

"Hey, Griss. Yeah. Apparently, I'm 'lucky'." At this, he frowned, annoyed that everyone called him "lucky". It lodged itself in between two of my ribs and in my sternum." Grissom nodded, frowning slightly. Warrick noticed Sara standing behind Grissom. "Well, well," he whispered hoarsely, "is that Sara Sidle?" he asked, his smile returning.

Sara smiled and entered the room. "It is. I'm glad to see that a loss of blood hasn't ruined your brain functions."

Warrick grinned at her and replied, "My brain functions have always been impaired." His attempt to lighten the mood of the room worked fairly well as the rest of the team, and Lindsey, laughed slightly. "C'mere," he ordered. Sara obliged and hugged him gently.

The team conversed for the full time allowed to visit, and a bit more, before they finally had to go. Sara promised to stay with Warrick for the night since everyone else had work, or sleep, that evening. Nick and Greg left first since both of them had had a limited amount of sleep and needed to freshen up before work. Sara had gone to say goodbye to Grissom shortly after they left, leaving Catherine and Lindsey alone with Warrick.

Warrick smiled and held Catherine's right hand and Lindsey's left hand in his large left hand. He squeezed gently, assuring them again that he was fine. "If you need anything, Warrick, and I mean _anything,_ you give me a call, okay?"

"And, if she doesn't answer, call me," Lindsey added to her mother's comment.

"Of course I will. I would never even fathom another possibility." Both girls laughed. "Now, shoo. You," he fixed Lindsey with a very fatherly stare, "need to sleep and do your homework, missy. I expect A's in all your classes." He turned his stare on Catherine and added, "_You _need to go home, shower, and drink a gallon of coffee before going to work." Warrick held their hands tightly, trying to prolong their last moments together until the end of the night shift.

"I promise to bring her to come see you before school," Lindsey told Warrick quite seriously.

"You do that, baby, and take good care of her. You know how she worries all the time." Lindsey nodded, knowing exactly what he means. "You come, too."

"Of course," she told him, confident that they would.

"Good girl. Now, you two, go home. I'll be fine. I can listen to Sara tell me about how she spent her time away."

"Bye, Warrick," Lindsey leaned down and kissed his cheek. She slowly pulled her hand away from his and waved goodbye before going into the hallway, giving the adults some semblance of privacy.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Catherine asked concern evident in her blue eyes.

"I'm sure. I promise," Warrick promised, his voice still hoarse. They both leaned forward cautiously, as if unsure. Their lips connected softly before they deepened the kiss to passionate. They pulled back and Catherine rested her forehead against Warrick's.

Tears filled Catherine's eyes as she stared into Warrick's. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he whispered to her. "Go watch over Nick and Greg, they're the ones who need it." She laughed and wiped away her tears before they fell.

"You, be good. Don't annoy Sara too much or else we'll have to have Ecklie sit with you." Warrick shuddered and Catherine laughed again. Warrick only smiled because it still hurt to laugh. She withdrew her hand from his and both of them longed to touch each other again. "Goodbye," she whispered.

"Bye," he replied. And Catherine left to go to work. He smiled and closed his eyes, remembering the feel of her lips against his. He allowed himself to think that they could be something more and his heart swelled. Just the thought of him and Catherine together made him happier than he could've ever imagined.

A minute or so later, Sara rejoined him. "So, Sar, where have you been?"

Sara settled into the plastic hospital chair and smiled. "Well, I went to California, actually. San Francisco." She took a breath before continuing, "I went to go visit my mother. I hadn't seen her in… a good ten years. So, I went to visit her. She's doing fine, considering." She smiled slightly. "But, I'm sure you don't want to hear about that." More like Sara didn't want to explain about her mother as well… "What is this I hear about you being a murderer?"

Warrick cringed slightly and shook his head. "I didn't kill anyone. Actually, I have Griss to thank for that," he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him and replied, "I knew Gil was good for something."

"Yep, he's definitely helpful when you're being framed for murder. Anyways. There was this guy who owned a club…" Warrick told her the entire story, from his intense hatred of Lou Gedda to finally finding the cop that was actually responsible for the murder. Sara occasionally interrupted him for clarification or to comment.

Both of them skirted the events of the shooting. Sara knew that Warrick wouldn't want to talk about it, so she didn't ask. She had learned all that she needed to know from Nick. Warrick would talk to someone when he was finally ready.

After talking until about six, they were interrupted. Ecklie himself came with Sofia Curtis, who had recently transferred to the day shift, to interview Warrick about the shooting. After greeting each other, (you could almost _taste_ the anger between Sara and Ecklie when they shook hands) Sofia began the interview.

"What do you recall about the shooting and the moments before?" she asked after several introductory questions: Would you state your name? Where were you the night of the shooting? Etc.

Warrick took as deep of a breath as he could without causing himself too much pain. "Well, I remember Greg leaving the restaurant first… He had a plane to catch. And then, Grissom left." He stopped and frowned for a second before continuing. "Catherine left next. She told me to call her if I ever needed anything. Nick asked…" he paused again, thinking. "He wanted to know if I wanted to grab a beer with him. I turned him down and left."

Warrick looked uncomfortable for a second. Sara placed a hand on his arm, silently giving her support. He smiled at her before continuing. "I was going home. I got in my car… I was talking… Someone came over to me… We were definitely talking."

"Do you remember who you spoke to?" Sofia asked gently.

He closed his eyes, trying to recall the shooting. "No," his voice, which had been improving, had become low and raspy again. "I can't remember." And that made him angry, with himself and with whoever had shot him.

"You were talking to him?" Sofia prompted.

"Yes. Definitely."

"You knew him, then?" Sara asked, easily falling into the rhythm of the questioning.

"Miss Sidle!" Ecklie said angrily. "You are no longer a part of the LVPD, so you are here as emotional support for him, not to ask questions."

Sara muttered an apology that she didn't actually mean before Sofia continued. "You knew him?" she repeated Sara's question.

Warrick nodded as much as his bandaged neck would allow him. "I'm sure of it."

After a few more questions, a very petite nurse arrived in the doorway. "Out! I thought I said no cops here for at least another two days!" Though she was small, the woman had an air of authority and she bravely kicked Ecklie out of her patient's room.

"You do know that your patient is a cop, right?" Ecklie asked, practically oozing slime.

The nurse looked him in the eye and she had to look up considerably. She fixed him with a glare and repeated, "Out!" They had a staring contest for a moment. Finally, Ecklie broke eye contact first and thanked Warrick and left with Sofia, who could barely contain her laughter.

Sara laughed quietly as the nurse checked up on Warrick. She was the same nurse who had checked on him when he had first woken up. "Where's that pretty blonde?" she asked playfully. "You've moved on to brunettes?"

Sara and Warrick exchanged grins. This middle aged nurse was definitely entertaining. "No, see the blonde has work and I'm here to watch him for her," Sara told her.

The nurse nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Let me guess, the blonde was too concerned about her boy here," she gestured at Warrick with the pen she was using to write on his chart, "to leave him here by himself. So, she recruited you?"

"I guess you could say that. All his, and her, other friends have work. And, I was the only one available."

"I see. Well, I'm glad Mr. Brown here has company. And, I hope for his sake that the blonde comes back." With that, the nurse left. Sara grinned at Warrick, who rolled his eyes.

"Not one word, Sara. Don't say anything."

Sara's grin only widened. "I didn't say anything!"

"I know what you were thinking," he replied evenly.

"No you don't. Because if you did, then you would've seen Gil—"

He cut her off right there. "Sara, that's great and all, but I don't want to know about your fantasies that concern Grissom. Now, I'm going to sleep. She just gave me a dose of pain medication, so I'll probably be out for a while. You can go home, you know."

"No way am I leaving here. Not only would I feel bad, I think that Catherine would have my head."

Warrick laughed slightly. Sara pulled out a book as he drifted off into dreamland. He dreamed of having a family with Catherine and Lindsey and he smiled in his sleep.

**A/N: **Wow! That was a really really long chapter!! It's more than 1,900 words! I'm so proud of myself. I was going to have the undersheriff's insidious plot in this chapter or have him come "visit" Warrick or something, but I was too happy to write something so… evil. So, this chapter is a bit more lighthearted (or at least in my mind it is…) than the others. Well, I hope you enjoy!!

Oh yeah, and I want to thank Wikipedia! They saved me from forgetting a ton of stuff!! …And reminded me that Warrick has a grandmother. Who will appear next chapter! (Hopefully…) Wikipedia is amazing… Sorry, I'm done now. I promise!

Reviews are LOVED more than… ice cream! (I would say chocolate, but… nope. Chocolate is the supreme treat. Reviews are a close second, though!)


	6. Chapter 6

**Denial**

**A/N:** I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story or added it to their alert list or favorites. I have been informed that the Undersheriff (the slimeball…) actually has a name. It's Jeff McKeen (If it's not, well, I'll change it again.) I will go back and change his name in the other chapters eventually. I'm just too lazy now. Oh yeah, and, Warrick's grandmother is dead, so, instead of his grandmother, his grandmother's friend will visit him, Ms. Wilson.

**Chapter Six:**

Undersheriff Jeff McKeen had just gotten off the phone with the hospital. They informed him that Brown was in "stable condition" and "should be able to return home in about a week." This made his blood boil. He wanted Brown dead. He had even shot him himself! And, look at what all his hard work had earned him. Now Grissom and his team had a living witness who may be able to identify him.

He ran a hand through his hair nervously. He picked up his phone again after taking a few deep, calming breaths. He dialed Ecklie, his wannabe minion. Ecklie answered after a single ring. _"Ecklie."_

"Conrad," the undersheriff greeted him warmly, as he would an old friend, "It's Jeff. I was wondering, have you interviewed Brown yet?"

"_Yes. We are on our way back from the interview right now."_

"Ah, I see," McKeen took another breath before continuing. "So, what does he remember?"

"_Not much, Jeff. He only knows that he knows the person who shot him. But, he can't remember who."_

McKeen could barely contain a sigh of relief at his words. "Does he think he'll be able to remember eventually?"

"_Well,"_ Ecklie said, trying to think of a way to phrase it. _"He may or may not remember it. He probably won't, but no promises."_

"Thank you Conrad. And," he added as an afterthought to make it more convincing, "I hope you catch this guy. Call me when you find something?"

"_Of course."_

After exchanging small talk and goodbyes, McKeen hung up the phone. He leaned forward and rubbed his temples, trying to fight off a headache. If he was lucky—no, if _Brown _was lucky—Brown would never remember the undersheriff shooting him. But, he also knew that as long as Brown's would be killer was out there, Grissom's team would do anything to hunt him down and their tenacity could lead right back to the undersheriff. And that wouldn't do.

He had to find someone to blame for Brown's attempted murder. The trick was, though, Brown thought he knew the guy. And it would be better if the "murderer" knew Brown. He opened his drawer and saw the gun with the silencer still attached sitting there. All he had to do, really, was plant the gun on someone. There had to be a convenient person who wanted Brown dead.

McKeen leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. There had to be _someone _else that wanted Warrick Brown dead. And then, he had a brilliant idea. Brown used to be addicted to gambling. All he had to do was ask around to find a bookie that had a bone to pick with Brown and problem solved. Until he had to kill Brown. Again. And, this time, he wouldn't miss. He would make sure he was dead before leaving and the only way to do that would be to splatter his brains on the wall.

It had to be done as soon as possible.

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

Ms. Wilson had just found out about Warrick. She rushed to the hospital to see the poor baby. Just to make extra sure that he was okay. She asked the woman at the desk where he was and went to his room right away. It was ten to six, meaning that she had ten more minutes to visit Warrick. She arrived at his room and hesitated before knocking.

A young woman with brown hair that she faintly recognized answered the door. "Hello, I'm Maura Wilson and I was just checking up on Warrick," Ms. Wilson told her. ((A/N: I just made up a first name)) The other woman smiled and moved out of the doorway.

Warrick lay on the bed, lost to the world in sleep. Ms. Wilson approached the poor boy and moved an errant hair off his forehead. "He's alright then?" she asked.

"Yes. Warrick should be fine."

Ms. Wilson touched the bandage on his neck with delicate fingers. "He was shot?"  
"I'm sorry to say that he was shot twice, Ms. Wilson."

"Was he on the job? I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"Sara Sidle," Sara said. "And, no, he wasn't on the job. He was headed home when someone shot him…"

Ms. Wilson frowned. "Did the police get him?"

"No. Not yet. The police are searching for the suspect as we speak."

Ms. Wilson turned to Sara and offered her a hand. "I'll be going seeing as he's asleep. Oh, and Ms. Sidle, will you tell him I stopped by?"

Sara took the offered hand and shook it and smiled. "Of course."

Ms. Wilson left, closing the door gently behind her. Her poor Warrick, lying in the hospital. He shouldn't be there. He was a good boy. Sure, he bent the rules sometimes, but it was always to help others. At least Sara Sidle would be watching over him for her. And, Ms. Wilson knew that she would be back to lecture Warrick. _After all, _she thought as she left the hospital, _what are old ladies for if they don't lecture the young?_

CSICSICSICSICSI

Catherine was doing paperwork for Grissom. He had let it pile up and up and up before Catherine finally had enough. She split the gigantic pile in half and told him that he wasn't aloud to leave until his half (which was carefully several files bigger) was finished. Both of them were doing paperwork at an incredible speed: Grissom wanted to spend time with Sara and Catherine wanted to spend time with Warrick.

Greg and Nick had been assigned to a robbery at a convenience store. It seemed pretty straightforward because the robber hadn't worn gloves and left dozens of prints on the cash register. Hodges, Wendy, and Mandy were processing evidence from Warrick's… accident to help the day shift. The lab was quieter than usual. Everyone was still tense from the events earlier that morning.

Grissom mindlessly filled out paperwork, his mind on Warrick. He could barely believe that it had only been fourteen hours since the shooting… He continued to sign papers and filling out reports. He was so happy that Warrick was okay. All he could do was pray that he stayed okay. As the pile of unfinished paperwork dwindled, his thoughts drifted to Sara.

He was so happy to have her back. They hadn't really talked about where she had been while she was "finding herself." He didn't really care as long as she was here to stay. He still loved her and it had been difficult to live while she was away. His heart soared every time he thought about her smile and the happiness they shared together. After nearly losing himself to his work, he had finally found the one woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And the woman he still wanted to marry.

Maybe the two of them would get married in some hotel after they caught Warrick's would-be killer. He smiled at the thought of Sara in a wedding dress. He continued to smile as he filled out the paperwork.

Catherine was in the same boat as him. She was day-dreaming—or maybe you call it night-dreaming when you day dream at night…-- about the man she loved. Well, Warrick didn't know it yet, but a girl could still dream, right? She thought about their two kisses and her heart beat faster. The feel of his lips against hers made her shiver. She had been waiting so long for the right time to subtly suggest a meal together as more then just friends. But, when she was finally building up the courage, he went and got married. When she had returned home that morning, she had lain in her bed and sobbed. If she had even acted a week or two earlier (after all, Warrick had only known Tina for a few weeks) she may have had a chance to be happy with Warrick. And, when he had divorced Tina, she felt herself torn in half.

Half of her was happy that Warrick was single and could (maybe) be with her. But, the other half ached for Warrick. He had tried his best to make his marriage work and had failed. She had felt guilty for her feelings and stuffed them away so that Warrick would never know. So, she never asked him out. And, she tried to stop flirting but had failed. It was just… so natural to flirt with him. Her thoughts were filled with Warrick as she continued filling out paperwork.

CSICSICSICSICSI

After shift ended, Catherine and Grissom headed to the hospital. Greg and Nick had wanted to join them, but Catherine squashed their attempts before they had even tried to act on them.

"_Come on, Cath," Nick said._

"_No." Catherine refused to let the boys come._

"_But, we just want to see him. We won't stay long. We promise."_

"_I said no because you two both need sleep. So, go home and sleep. Visit him in the afternoon."_

"_Aw, Cath—"_

"_No." With that, Catherine left the boys in the hallway._

Sara was sound asleep in the hospital chair when Catherine and Grissom arrived. Warrick, too, was sound asleep. His breathing was deep and slow. Catherine smiled when she saw that Warrick was okay. Grissom walked quietly over to Sara and gently nudged her.

"Wha?" she asked, sleep making her groggy. "Gil? You done work?"

"Yeah, I'm done. Catherine's gonna stay with Warrick now. Come on, time to go home." Sara nodded and stood up, still half asleep.

"G'night, Sara," Catherine said.

"G'night, Catherine," Sara replied. Grissom put his arm around her to steady her so she could get to the car.

And Catherine, once again, was alone with Warrick. She held his hand gently. She kissed him gently so that he wouldn't wake up. She was surprised to feel his hand squeeze hers. She moved back and smiled. His eyes were open. They were clouded with painkillers, but he was still there. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey. I see that you're done work."

"Yeah."

"Go home, Catherine. You need to sleep."

"I can sleep here." Warrick attempted a snort, making Catherine smile more.

"be a good girl and tell me about your day." Catherine made a move to sit in the chair, but Warrick gripped her hand tightly, making sure she didn't move too far. Instead, she sat on the side of his bed.

"Well," she started, "it was pretty boring. I mean, all I did was paperwork."

"I see…" Warrick was drifting off again. Catherine tried to move off the bed but Warrick stopped her. "Stay," he whispered. "I want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up." Catherine couldn't help but blush slightly at his comment.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," she whispered in reply. Warrick smiled and fell asleep again.

**A/N: **I know, I know, it's shorter than the other chapters. But, I didn't want to make it _too _long. I could've added some other scene, but I thought that it would be nice to end the chapter with some fluffy YoBling to satisfy you shippers.

Reviews are truly loved. Really. They've almost got passing highschool beat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Denial**

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy. I hope you enjoy my next chapter!

**Chapter Seven:**

Grissom drove Sara home. He watched her as she attempted to stay awake during the car ride. Eventually, she fell asleep, her head lolling slightly against the window. He smiled, glad to have his "family" back in the same place again. He pulled into his driveway and shut off the car. Sara woke up, blinking slightly.

"Come on, time for bed," Grissom told her as he exited his car. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes and opened the passenger door. They walked to the front door together, holding hands. Grissom unlocked the door and the two went to bed.

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_Warrick was walking down a dark alley. The weather was changing; it would be summer before he knew it. He had just been cleared of murder charges and he was more relieved then he could even imagine. But, he was still nervous about what the Undersheriff would do to punish him. Personally, he thought that dredging up the past was punishment enough. He had finally come to terms with Holly's death twenty months after her funeral._

_The interrogator had made him miserable. He couldn't stand it. All he could think about was telling him that Holly wasn't supposed to die and, even though it was his fault, there would've been nothing that he could've done. The only thing that would've happened was that Sara Sidle would be investigating a double homicide instead of a single homicide. _

_He unlocked his car door and climbed into his car. He put the key in the ignition when someone knocked on his window. Warrick looked and saw him. It was a man, white. Warrick, against his better judgment, opened the window. The man's face was distorted and inhuman. For some reason, he felt himself smile. The man spoke to him. _

"_Ah, Warrick Brown?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_A gift." The man shot Warrick and he felt the searing pain of a bullet tearing through the flesh in his neck. He covered his neck with his hand, shocked that he had been shot. The man laughed manically and shot him again. Warrick felt himself fall out of the car and lie on the ground, dying. Nick ran over to him and the man was hidden in darkness._

_He tried to call out to warn his friend, but he found that he couldn't speak. Nick reached him and was shot three times. One shot hit his head and brain matter splattered against the alley wall. Grissom appeared, followed by Sara. "N…no…" Warrick tried to speak and barely got out a single word._

_The man shot Grissom, killing him instantly. Sara screamed and knelt to cradle Grissom's head in her lap. The man laughed and watched Sara cry helplessly before shooting her too._

_Greg ran towards him and Warrick lay helpless, dying. He wanted to warn the youngest CSI not to come, that the man had a gun and would shoot him. But, Greg was kneeling next to Nick and tears formed in his eyes as he saw that his friend was dead. He ran over Warrick and knelt next to Sara and Grissom, finding them both dead too. He spotted Warrick and stood up, only to be shot by the man with the gun._

_Warrick couldn't move. The worst thing happened next. Catherine and Lindsey walked into the alley. More desperate then ever, Warrick tried to warn them. He didn't want to lose anyone else, especially Catherine and Lindsey. The two girls were smiling happily and didn't notice the man who would kill them. They saw Warrick and ran to him. "Warrick!" Lindsey cried, holding his hand._

_Catherine was too stunned to talk. She had a look of utmost horror as she gripped his other hand. A quiet _bang _was heard and Catherine fell forward to rest on Warrick's chest. Lindsey looked up and screamed. She tried to run away and Warrick willed her to safety. But, the man ran after her and grabbed her by the hair. He watched her cry before shooting her, too. _

_The alley way was filled with the blood of their "family". The man laughed at their fates. The weight of Catherine's body was making it harder for Warrick to breath. He still couldn't move. His eyes spilled over with tears at the loss of his family. Every one of the people he cared about had died around him. And there was nothing that he could've done about it. _

_The man approached Warrick and spoke again, his voice familiar. "This bullet is the true gift. I wanted you to wait while they died. Goodbye." _BANG!

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Warrick opened his eyes, terrified. His breathing was rapid and shallow as he took in his surroundings. He was in the hospital still. Catherine was asleep next to him on his bed. She must have fallen asleep sometime after him. He reached over with his left hand and moved a strand of hair out of her face, trying to convince herself that she was okay. He watched her steady breathing for a minute, willing his pulse to stop pounding in his ears.

He took a shaky breath and looked at the clock. Two in the afternoon. Lindsey would still be at school and the rest of the team, like Catherine, would be sound asleep. Warrick shifted slightly and Catherine moved shortly after him, curling closer to his side. He smiled in spite of the bad taste that the nightmare had left him. He closed his eyes again and recalled his dream. The voice of the man was very familiar. He knew that he knew it. He just didn't have any idea where he had heard it before.

After calming himself down a bit more, Warrick fell asleep, his nose buried in Catherine's hair.

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_Catherine stood at the coffin. Inside lay the corpse of Warrick. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded on his chest. If she didn't know better, she would've said that Warrick was sleeping. But, she did know better. Especially since she had seen the bullet that the doctors had pulled out of his chest. She wore all black in honor of his death. _

_Lindsey was next to her. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she held her mother's hand. Catherine was too stunned to cry. The doctors had promised that he was fine. They had finally kissed and they were going to become more then just coworkers. How could this happen?_

_Doc Robbins walked to the coffin and placed a rose on it and told Catherine that he was "so sorry" that Warrick was dead. Greg came next. He looked odd in his all black suit. He held a rose in his hands which shook slightly. He could barely contain his tears as he lay the flower next to Doc Robbins's. _

_Next were Grissom and Sara. Grissom had a protective arm around Sara and they each carried another rose. Sara was in tears and Grissom was on the verge of them. She gently lay down her rose first. She looked at Catherine and both women exchanged tearful looks. Grissom stood for a moment and spoke to Warrick. "I never wanted you to leave us. Never. Rest in peace, my friend," he told him. And a single tear ran down his cheek. Grissom put his arm around Sara again and the two of them went to sit with Greg and Doc Robbins. _

_Brass walked to the coffin and placed his rose there. He wore his uniform with pride and saluted the coffin, doing his best to contain his tears. Sure, they had their differences sometimes, but he still liked the CSI._

_Nick walked up next. He wasn't crying, but his face held signs of previous tears. His eyes were red and his cheeks were covered in dry tears. "See you later, Warrick," he told his best friend. Nick placed his rose next to the others._

_Lindsey was next. She was holding a rose that was smaller then the others. Hers was only a rose bud. "I'll never forget you," she whispered to him and wiped the tears off her cheeks, knowing that he wouldn't want to see her cry. She still held her mother's hand tightly. Catherine found that she, too, held a rose. _

_The tears finally spilled over as she placed the rose on the coffin. "Goodbye," was all she could manage. Mother and daughter walked away from the coffin and into the pews of the church. Greg, Grissom, Nick, and Brass carried the coffin on their shoulders out of the church. Catherine and Lindsey followed desperately, as if trying to stay as close to Warrick as possible. They were headed towards the car. And then Warrick would be gone. Forever._

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Catherine awoke. The nightmare had left her terrified. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Warrick breathing steadily next to her. She reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes and found her face wet with tears. She laughed slightly at this discovery. She took a calming breath before checking the time. Two thirty. Lindsey would be out of school soon.

She shifted and watched Warrick sleep again. She smiled, knowing that she wasn't going to have to attend his funeral for the time being. She held his hand tightly before being lulled to sleep herself.

**A/N: **Okay! So, this chapter is kind of short, too… But, you'll live with that, right? In case anybody didn't notice, the italics are their nightmares. First was Warrick's and second was Catherine's.

PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews make me happy. They're an almost-drug.


	8. Chapter 8

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Sorry about the delay in updates… I've been suffering from writer's block. I have written the beginning paragraphs about four times and I just haven't been able to get into the story. This time, I can. Again, apologies for the delay. And, thank you for all your reviews. They really helped me decide to try again and again.

**Chapter Eight:**

Ecklie's team had finished processing the crime scene yesterday. Today the lab techs were processing the evidence. Ecklie sat in his office, waiting for the reports to come in. Just after lunch, the results on the bullets came in. The bullet pulled out of the alley wall was destroyed, but they were able to determine that it was fired from a nine-millimeter handgun. They also determined that it was from the same gun as the bullet pulled out of Warrick's chest.

The ballistics expert ran the bullet through a database, hoping to find a match. To his great surprise, the bullet matched a gun that was supposed to be in evidence. This data was presented to Ecklie. Ecklie read it and frowned. The gun was found at the scene of a double homicide that Ronnie Lake and Sara Sidle processed several months ago.

CSI Lake had been working swing shift since Sidle left the lab. Actually, Ecklie was considering moving her to day shift because she was a good CSI. Sidle had been gone since the case with the little girl. And, he hadn't seen her-or overheard a conversation stating that someone else had- until he went to interview Brown in the hospital.

He rubbed his bald spot in frustration. This meant that there was still a mole in the lab. And that mole wanted Brown dead. No matter how much he disliked the graveyard shift, he didn't want them to lose any people. He knew he should call McKeen, but the undersheriff wanted good news. And all he had was that someone with access to evidence had stolen a gun. He knew that the mole wasn't one of his own; he would've noticed any suspicious behavior.

Ecklie pulled up the information on everyone who had access on the gun. First, he got rid of the people who were confirmed working from five in the morning until seven. A third of the list disappeared. He also eliminated himself and his team. He eliminated Stokes; the guy had saved him, for god's sake. He also eliminated Willows since she was at home with her daughter right after the shooting and there was no way that she could've gone from the scene to her house in time to wake up her kid. He hesitated a second before eliminating both Sidle and Grissom. They would alibi each other anyways.

The list had shortened considerably by the time he eliminated Sanders, Doc Robbins, Hodges, Sims, and the rest of the graveyard shift. He doubted that any of them had anything to do with it. If anything, Brown was well liked. The people who worked in the evidence locker were left along with a few detectives, the sheriff, the undersheriff, and other miscellaneous people. The list consisted of about twenty-five people.

Ecklie sighed. He had twenty-five suspects, most of them high profile. He read over the list again and saw that CSI Veronica Lake had the day off and was not working. She happened to be the lowest of the suspects on the food chain. So, she was his first suspect. He called Sofia to tell her about his findings. They would head out to interview Lake.

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Sofia answered her phone, "Curtis," she said.

"_Sofia, it's Ecklie."_

"Oh. Find something on Warrick's case?"

"_Yeah. I got a bunch of suspects."_

"Great," she replied sarcastically.

"Well, the gun used to shoot Brown was supposed to be in the evidence locker, but it has gone missing. Our suspects are those who had access to that gun and who could have had the time to shoot Brown."

"That narrows it down quite a bit."

"Yes. We have twenty-five suspects."

"Who are we going to interview first?"

"_CSI Veronica Lake," _Ecklie answered.

"Alright. I'll meet you at the lab and we'll head over to her house to interview her."

"See you then."

"Bye."

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Ronnie got out of her shower. She had spent her day off relaxing and cleaning. Her small apartment was a mess since she hadn't gotten around to cleaning it for a while. She turned on the radio while blow-drying her hair. She changed into an extra large t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She flicked on her TV and settled in to watch a cheesy romance movie.

The doorbell rang just as she pressed play. Sighing, she paused her movie and went to the door. "Veronica Lake?" questioned the blonde woman at her door. A balding man stood next to her.

"Yes?" she answered, confused. Her instincts said that they were cops. And, the man reminded her of someone… She just couldn't place him.

"I'm detective Sofia Curtis and this is CSI Conrad Ecklie." Oh shit. Ecklie was the day shift supervisor. "We have a few questions for you. May we come in?"

"Sure," Ronnie answered and moved out of the doorway, allowing them entrance. She turned off her TV and sat across from the detective. Ecklie was walking around her living room, examining her bookshelves. "What is this about?"

"You heard about the shooting of Warrick Brown?" Sofia asked.

"Of course. Everyone at the lab has been talking about it. I'm glad he's okay. I worked a case with him a few months ago and he was really nice."

"I see. Do you remember a double homicide that you worked with Sara Sidle?"

"Of course. It was my first murder case," Ronnie replied with a touch of pride.

"You found the murder weapon, correct?"

"Well, Sara found it… I just dusted it for prints and bagged it. Sara was the one who put it in the evidence locker. I don't understand what this has to do with Warrick, Detective Curtis."

Sofia smiled slightly. "That same gun was used to shoot Warrick." Ronnie's face drained of colour.

"Oh, god… And you think I did it?"

"No—"

Ronnie cut her off before she could continue. "You think it's Sara? Sara would never do anything like that! She and Warrick were good friends! And, she left Las Vegas. Last time I talked to her, she was in California, visiting family." Ronnie rattled all of this off at a remarkable rate. "Besides, she would never risk having a case be declared a mistrial because she stole a gun. No, she would never, ever do anything like that! We worked hard to catch the guy and we found the gun on him and arrested him and got him charged with two counts of first-degree murder! Sara is too dedicated to allow her case to be destroyed! Even if she did quit, it doesn't mean anything."

Sofia spoke before Ronnie could finish taking a breath. "We're not looking at Sara, either. We just have to make sure that it wasn't you. Just so that, when we catch the guy, the defense attorney doesn't say that we didn't interrogate all the suspects."

"Oh," Ronnie replied much softer then her rant had been. "Sorry…"

"And, just so you know, Sara is alibied. She was with Grissom at the time of the attempted murder."

"Wait, Sara's back in Las Vegas?" a smile lit her features and the colour came back into her face.

Sofia had to return the grin with one of her own. "Yeah, she arrived a few days ago." She exchanged a glance with Ecklie. "One more question, where were you between five am and seven am?"

"I was out at breakfast with one of my friends. Today was her birthday, so I took her out to breakfast before she went to work." Ronnie pulled out a pen and a small notebook and wrote down her friend's name, address, and phone number.

"Thank you," Sofia stood to leave. "I apologize if it seemed like we were accusing you at all."

"No problem." The women shook hands and Sofia and Ecklie left.

Ronnie closed and dead bolted the door behind them. She picked up her controller and turned the TV on and watched her movie. She couldn't concentrate much because she was distracted by the fact that a gun was stolen from evidence. It bothered her that someone would betray the law enforcement profession by essentially letting another killer go by stealing and contaminating evidence.

CSICSICSICISCSICSICSICSI

Warrick woke up first. The first thing he saw was Catherine, just how he had longed to do for so long. She was sleeping next to him in the small hospital bed. She lay on his left since his right arm was in a sling to prevent him from tearing the stitches in his chest. His left arm was around her protectively and he pulled her slightly closer, enjoying the contact.

He knew that she shouldn't be here, but he suspected that the nurses had grown fond of the couple and had pretended not to notice. He spent almost half an hour stroking her hair contentedly before she, too, awoke. A smile grew as her eyes focused on him. She yawned and said, "Good morning. Or afternoon. Or evening."

Warrick laughed softly, careful not to laugh too much. "I think it's the afternoon."

Catherine glanced at the clock. 3:46. "You're right." Just then, she realized that it would be visiting hours soon and the team would come to visit Warrick. "As much as I hate to move, I have to," she told him regretfully. She could spend the rest of her life just lying next to him. Warrick tightened his grip on her before relenting. She slipped off the bed and positioned herself in the chair next to the bed.

At precisely four o'clock, the team, and Lindsey, came to visit. Lindsey was the first through the door. "Warrick!" she cried and ran to hug him. Sara and Grissom were a few steps behind, laughing at the teen's enthusiasm. The two of them were holding hands and smiling. Catherine smiled back at the two of them. It was good to see them happy again. Grissom had been miserable while she was gone.

Lindsey was telling Warrick about the horrors of Chemistry when Greg sauntered in. "Hey Warrick!" he said enthusiastically. Greg had recently discovered energy shots that he would drink when he was especially tired. The downside of his plan was that the energy shots made him a little ADD. Okay. A _lot _ADD.

Greg and Lindsey argued about the pros and cons of dropping chemicals in microwells when Nick came in. He had brought Warrick several magazines of the male variety: cars, sports, and-of course-the newest forensic magazine. "I thought you might be bored here all night with only Sara to entertain you," he said with a glance in Sara's direction.

"Thanks, man," Warrick replied. After an hour and a half with the team, they left. Sara remained, sitting in the plastic hospital chair again.

"So," she began slyly, "how was your day with Catherine?"

Warrick smiled mischievously at her before replying. "We had lots of quality time together."

"Mmmhmmm. Did she sleep well?"

"Yes."

"Surprising. I can't sleep in this chair. Unless… She didn't sleep in the chair, did she?" Warrick hesitated and that was all that Sara needed. "You two got together without telling anyone, didn't you?" He opened his mouth to lie before she cut him off. "Don't lie. Trust me, I know when you're more then 'just friends' with one of your coworkers. When did it happen?" she leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear the story of Catherine and Warrick first.

Warrick sighed, knowing that Sara would never leave him alone if he didn't tell her. "Fine. It was right after I got shot."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She told me that she wouldn't know what to do if I had died, and I told her that my one regret was the we hadn't become something more then 'just friends'. After we told each other how happy we were to see each other again, we kissed…"

Sara smiled. She had watched the two of them flirt all the time and she was proud of them for throwing the rules out the window and just living. It had taken them more then eight years to get together. Even she and Grissom had gotten together after only… well, it depended on how you viewed "getting together".

The two of them spent the next couple of hours talking about Grissom and Catherine and having a relationship with someone you worked with. Warrick made Sara promise not to tell anyone else until they were ready. She agreed readily. After all, it was his secret to tell, not hers.

**A/N: **Again, sorry for the delay!! And, sorry that this chapter was like… mostly full of not Warrick or Catherine or our other CSIs that we know and love… But, I did stick Ronnie in my story! I liked her. A lot. So, I thought she deserved to be in my story. And, I loathingly write Ecklie. But, he's the only person from day shift that I know, so I have no choice…

Please review! They make me smile. And, they are like bribes to my muse. She likes reviews. A lot. Reviews make her write more….


	9. Chapter 9

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Sorry for the sort of delay… It's just, I have friends… And, we hang out. Okay, none of you care, so I'll just get on with it.

Chapter Nine

The subjects of Warrick and Sara's discussion were busy at work. The mountain of paperwork had been finished (thank God!) and Grissom was handing out cases. "There is a DB at a motel. Looks like a suicide. Who wants it?"

Greg raised his hand first and grabbed the information on the case. He still couldn't stop twitching. Grissom looked at the next case. "A robbery at a convenience store. Clerk was shot in the leg."

"I'll take that," Catherine said. She grabbed the paper he held and left the break room.

"Okay, that leaves us with a car explosion on a dirt road." Nick raised an eyebrow and Grissom smiled.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

"Do what?"

"Leave the most interesting case till last so you could have it."

"Of course not," but his sly smile said otherwise. "Let's go, Nicky." The two men headed out to the scene.

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Jeff McKeen was on his way home, the gun tucked carefully under his seat. He had spent the day "investigating" the attempted murder of Warrick Brown. Ecklie had gotten a lead since he watched Curtis leave after getting a phone call. She had left for several hours, coming back just before shift ended. He knew all of this because he had one of the men in the bullpen on his payroll. They did each other favors. McKeen would help him feed his drug habit and cover the evidence and the man would spy for him. It was a good arrangement.

There had to be a good suspect that would be found. When they got a search warrant for the person's house or car or office, McKeen would plant the gun. He smiled at his own brilliance. He told Ecklie that he wanted to be the first to know if they had anything concrete on a suspect. And Ecklie, the sleazebag, agreed. And he knew that he would.

McKeen pulled into his garage and pressed a button. The garage door lowered slowly as he took his things out of his car, including the gun. He opened the door and dropped his belongings, except the gun, on the counter. He knew that Ecklie had matched the gun Sidle and Lake had found several months ago. He smiled evilly. All he would be able to prove, if he ever could, is that his detective had stolen the gun. There would be nothing to lead them to him. He was safe.

That is, unless Brown remembered. While "investigating," McKeen had also spent a while on the internet, looking up statistics. He wanted to see what the probability Brown would remember was He was happy to see that some people never remembered a shooting. It would be easy to kill Brown when he was released from the hospital.

The question was, though, how should he die? McKeen could get creative by poisoning him, or faking a suicide, or something else. The problem was that he couldn't mess up again. If he did, he would never get another chance. If Brown weren't so stubborn, then he wouldn't have to kill him. McKeen walked to his fridge and opened it, surveying its contents. He grabbed the carton of orange juice and poured himself a glass. He had figured originally that shooting would be the best. Obviously, he had failed. If only Stokes hadn't interfered…

That was it. He had to make sure Brown was alone. Had to watch him die. Make sure the deed was done. But, he still had to take Brown away from the others. Subtly. He rubbed his temples in frustration. The next time he tried to kill Brown, he would unload an entire clip just to make sure.

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Greg filled out paperwork at a mad pace. His dead body was most definitely a suicide. The guy had been in debt, divorced, and had just been diagnosed with cancer. He shot himself in the head and left a note apologizing. So, Greg's work was done. But he still had a ton of paperwork.

His writing was almost illegible. He regretted taking the energy shot now, but if he hadn't he would've been sleeping on the job. And, he didn't want to get fired. He jittered his foot while he submitted and cataloged the evidence. Hodges watched him from the glass walls of his lab area angrily. Greg's twitching foot was driving him insane. It was a constant distraction because he could see it in his peripheral vision.

Greg finished his paperwork in record time. He signed the last page with a flourish and jogged to Grissom's office. The supervisor wasn't there so he left the report on his desk. Greg spent the rest of the day-errr… night- catching up on his other paperwork that was supposed to be done about a week ago.

Meanwhile, Grissom and Nick were in the garage, processing the remains of a blown up car. They both had different ideas about what had happened. Grissom thought that it was a malfunction in the engine while Nick was convinced that it was foul play. So, the two of them had a friendly competition to prove their argument. Since no one was hurt, except for a mailbox and a hole in the road, they allowed themselves to have fun and relax.

In the end, they couldn't decide who had won. They were both technically correct. Some mechanic had put the car battery in wrong causing a leak of battery acid. The acid then reacted with the break fluid, causing an increase in heat. The heat spread to the fuel tank, which caught on fire and then blew up. Grissom and Nick split the paperwork and settled in to complete their reports.

Catherine's case wasn't as easy as the men's cases. She had difficulty with her crime scene since the clerk had run around screaming after being shot in the leg. The witnesses described it as "hopping madly around the store." Her blood and hopping managed to obscure the robber's footprints. She also had touched the counter, making it harder to get prints. Eventually, she found a set of prints that didn't belong to the clerk. She sent them through AFIS and got a hit. Their suspect had already robbed a few gas stations. The detective went to pick him up.

The man—he was more like a teenager, really—confessed to shooting the woman. He made a plea bargain with the DA and Catherine closed her case. She walked back to the lab from her car, unaware that she was being watched. She headed to the break room for a cup of coffee.

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Undersheriff Jeff McKeen watched the CSIs. He watched Grissom arrive and considered. Grissom would be easy to grab—after all, he would just come if he asked—but, now that Sidle was back, he would be missed too soon. No. Not Grissom.

Nick Stokes arrived next. The Texan sauntered to the door and McKeen bit back an angry growl. This man had ruined his plan. He had saved Brown when he was supposed to bleed to death. And that frustrated McKeen.

Catherine Willows came shortly after Stokes entered the building. He watched her and considered the relationship between her and Brown. They had worked together for his entire career as Undersheriff. He also knew that they were at least friends since she had kissed him on the cheek while he watched right before he shot Brown. He frowned when he remembered that she had a daughter. But, maybe it would be better for her to go missing so he could blackmail Brown.

The youngest CSI, Greg Sanders, came last and about two minutes late. The kid was practically jumping with energy. Sanders was friends with Brown and had recently been working on a book. He also would be easy to take. Actually, all of them were easy targets. Except for Brown. He was securely in a hospital and under security. The LVPD had posted guards at the hospital to protect one of their own. But, McKeen had always loved a challenge…

Sanders was the first back with his evidence. He walked into the lab with confidence. McKeen could've grabbed him right there, but it was too risky. His detective would notice that he had vanished with the evidence. An hour later, Grissom and Stokes came back. They both carried the evidence inside. A tow truck arrived shortly after them and brought the remains of a car to the garage.

Two hours and three cups of coffee later, Catherine Willows returned. Willows looked frustrated at her evidence as she slammed the trunk closed. She returned to her lab with two hours before the end of shift. McKeen turned on his car and left, deciding between Willows and Grissom. Both would probably be easy to grab and good blackmail. If Brown remembered. If he never did, then McKeen would just kill him in a dark alley.

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Sara and Warrick were eating lunch together. Well, Sara was eating and Warrick was only aloud to drink some juice. The doctors said that he wouldn't be able to eat solid food until his stitches were removed. When he inquired when that would be, the doctors estimated another week or so.

All of the nurses officially thought that Warrick and Sara were crazy. They ate their "lunch" at about midnight. And, Warrick and Catherine slept during the day. The nurse that had told Ecklie off was Warrick's main nurse. She came in periodically to check on Warrick. She told great stories to amuse both Sara and Warrick. They, in turn, told her about Ecklie. She laughed at them and said that she was glad she had gotten rid of him.

Currently, the topic of conversation was weird cases. Sara was telling Warrick about how she had seen a person who had been killed by a bullet ricocheting and hitting his shoe, which caused him to fly forward over the back of a couch and get caught on the ceiling fan by his shoelaces which were, unfortunately for him, untied. He then died of an aneurysm that had been lurking in his bloodstream.

Warrick wracked his brain to remember a case that was even more bizarre. He finally remembered one of his first cases as a CSI. "You see, there was this kid who dared his friend to break into a zoo and spray paint his name in the monkey enclosure. So, he did. And the monkeys got the spray paint away from him and ended up getting him _covered _in paint. I was there to process the gate to see if he had really broken in. It was pretty funny and he wasn't hurt at all. Well, maybe his pride was."

Sara laughed. Kids were stupid sometimes. The two of them continued this competition for a while. They both went to sleep after Warrick was given another painkiller. Sara opted to sleep on the floor instead of in the uncomfortable chair. The two were still asleep when the team got off work.

**A/N: **okay, kind of short… I'm sorry! I just can't think of anything else… I was only one day off my goal posting time this time! Yay me! Wow. Chapter nine done. I'm shocked at myself. I have no idea how long this is going to be…

Please review! Please? It really makes my day to read reviews even if you just say that you read it… Or, you could even rant to me about your day! I promise I'll read it…


	10. Chapter 10

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Again, I express my humble apologizes. I really really REALLY meant to update, but I just haven't felt like it. And, it doesn't help that I have to be in the office with my dad and brother. It makes me uncomfortable to type while they're in the same room…

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They make me smile so much when I see I got a review. I even enjoy the reviews with only an "update soon" in them. So, review again and make me feel better. :)

**Chapter Ten:**

Undersheriff Jeff McKeen was outside the hospital, waiting. He knew that the team couldn't resist the temptation to stop by and chat with Brown. It disgusted him. After all, Brown was worthless and too stubborn for his own good. Catherine was the first to arrive and with her stepped her teenage daughter. He cursed under his breath. He had planned on taking Willows, but it would be more difficult with two people in the car. The kid could probably ID him if she saw his face.

Next was Grissom. He seemed just as eager as Willows to get into the hospital. McKeen smirked. Grissom would be easy to take. All he would have to do was ram his car, step out of his car and point a gun at his head. Simple. Or, he could even go for "home invasion" and break into Grissom's house. He was certain that Grissom didn't carry a gun.

Hours passed and finally Sanders and Willows's daughter left. McKeen presumed that Catherine would stay for the day and that Sanders was driving the kid home. Stokes was next. He jogged to his car and McKeen was tempted to follow. He was about to pull out of his parking spot when he changed his mind. He searched the parking lot for Grissom and saw him stepping into his truck.

Grissom pulled out and the Undersheriff followed discreetly. After all, he knew where the man was headed. He had already looked up the residences of all the CSIs in preparation. He grinned with delight when Grissom pulled into his parking lot. McKeen pulled into a spot on the other side, several parking spots away so that Grissom wouldn't see him.

He pulled out the gun next. The same gun he had used to shoot Brown. He ran a finger along the handle and held it in his hand. He checked the clip and made sure he had bullets. Satisfied, he got out of his car and headed to Grissom's townhouse. His plan was to break in quietly, point the gun at Grissom and force him into his car. He would then drive the man to a cheap motel and hide him in a closet. He would then, anonymously, contact Brown and would "exchange" Grissom for his complete cooperation by pointing the finger at someone else. But, he had no intention of letting either of them live. He would shoot them both when Brown came to get Grissom. And, his problem would be solved.

After waiting a few minutes impatiently, McKeen got out of his car and carefully closed the door. Grissom would be settled in by now, maybe making himself something to eat. He pulled out his lock picking set and worked on picking the lock on Grissom's front door. The lock made a faint _click _and McKeen grinned. He was in.

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Grissom and Sara were in the kitchen making dinner. The two of them were content just to be together and were currently silent. They shared a few looks and kisses, but no words were needed. They were both just happy to be together.

Sara went to go change, leaving Grissom in the kitchen by himself. She smiled as she entered Grissom's bedroom, inhaling the familiar scent. Hank was asleep on the bed and was happy to see her. She spent a minute playing with him before she heard the familiar click of the safety of a gun being taken off. Her heart beat faster as she heard a familiar voice.

"Gil, put down the spoon," the voice ordered. It was so familiar to Sara, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before.

"Listen, Jeff, we can talk about this," Gil's reasonable voice could be heard. Sara's heart thudded in her ears. She knew who it was. But, what was the undersheriff doing in their house?

"No. Now, come here." She heard footsteps and Hank jumped off the bed and barked. She heard the click of handcuffs and that's when their dog went wild. Hank barreled out of the bedroom and a shot was fired.

"Hank!" Sara forgot all reason and followed Grissom's dog. Hank's leg was bleeding and he whimpered. She ran to the dog and knelt next to him. She looked up to see Grissom standing in front of the undersheriff. Grissom's hands were cuffed behind his back and McKeen had the gun pressed to Grissom's back. "Gil," she whispered.

McKeen cursed under his breath. Sidle was supposed to be gone. Grissom was supposed to live alone. He was supposed to be the one person he could count on that would be alone. But, his girlfriend had returned. And she had ruined all his plans. "Get up," he ordered. She glared defiantly at him. "I only need one hostage. I'll shoot him. Now, get up," he ordered again, a little more harshly.

Sara stood up slowly and Hank whimpered at her feet. The bullet didn't do any major damage, but it hurt him. McKeen was thinking at lightening speed. His plan had failed. Neighbors could have heard his gunshot. The police could be on their way right now. He had been a bit jumpy from lack of sleep and the dog had charged him…

"Walk in front of me. You do anything stupid and I shoot him." Sara obliged, giving Hank a final pat on the head. She hoped that someone had heard the gunshot and would call the police. Or at least find her wounded dog. Her steps were even as her heart raced. She knew that he would kill them. But, she also knew that they wouldn't die until they weren't of use to him anymore. There was no way that she would do anything he said if he killed Gil. And he would do the same for her.

McKeen guided her to his car. He ordered her to open the trunk and take out a length of rope. He tied Grissom's feet and threw him in the trunk. However, the trunk was too small for the two of them. And, he didn't want them both escaping. He tightly bound Sara's hands and feet and threw her in the back seat. Then, he calmly got into the driver's seat and drove away, obeying every traffic law. For a while, Grissom was moving around in the trunk, but eventually he stopped moving. Sara lay on the floor, struggling silently with the ropes. Try as she might, nothing was helping.

They drove out of the city as McKeen revised his plans. The endless light from the city disappeared and the sky turned grey, signaling the approach of dawn.

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

Catherine and Warrick were alone again. She sat on his bed, holding his hand. "Warrick… we have to talk," she started.

Warrick's green eyes grew wide with fear. Did she mean to break up with him? Had he done something wrong? He feared the worst but she only smiled softly. "No, I'm not breaking up with you. I just… want to know where we stand." She bit her lip and looked down, nervous about what his answer would be. Her fears vanished when he put his hand under her chin and looked her in the eye.

"I love you and that's all that matters. We can be anything you want. Sara and Grissom kept their relationship secret. If that's what you want to do, then fine. But, we can tell everyone. We'll work different shifts, sure, but I think it would be worth it…" The smile that lit Catherine's features was enough to make Warrick's pain vanish and his heart soar.

"I think…" she said, "we should tell everyone. What do we have to hide?" She still smiled her beautiful smile and Warrick had no choice but to smile back. It was one of the things that had made him fall in love with her. Her smile did something strange to him and he would do anything to make sure it stayed.

"I love you," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him.

"I love you more," he teased. She laughed. Another thing he loved about her. Oh, yes. And, her lips. They tasted like her: mysterious, sweet, with almost an aftertaste of coffee. Someone cleared their throat behind them and they pulled apart, blushing. Warrick's main nurse, Brenda, stood in the doorway.

"I need to take his blood, sweetheart," she told Catherine kindly. The nurse's smile was mischievous as she looked from Catherine to Warrick. She took his blood and said, "I'll let you kids continue now." She left, grinning to herself. She had never seen another couple quite so devoted.

The two of them spent a good hour and a half talking about everything. Finally, when Catherine's yawns were becoming more and more regular, Warrick insisted that they sleep. She agreed and curled up next to him. His strong arm was around her and he moved his hand back and forth along her back. Eventually, her breathing became regular and she drifted off to sleep. Warrick stayed awake a bit longer, content to just watch the woman he loved sleep.

Little did he know that the man who had shot him had kidnapped Grissom and Sara. He was oblivious and happy.

_Ignorance is bliss._

**A/N: **Again, I apologize for the long time it took to update. I hoped you liked it! I originally was going to have McKeen kidnap Catherine, but I didn't want Lindsey to get caught in the crossfire. Oh yeah, and Hank is going to be okay. Don't worry, I could never kill him! Also, I'm not sure if his name is Hank or Bruno… I think it used to be Hank but they changed it…? No idea. So, if anyone knows, could you tell me? Thanks.

Reviews are loved!! Please review… It takes all of five seconds. You can even just send me one word or something and it'll still brighten my day. :) You know you want to…


	11. Chapter 11

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Okay, I won't even try to make excuses this time… I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've been busy. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, or added my story to their alerts/favorites list! It really makes me happy to know that people are enjoying my story.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own CSI. I don't even own the DVDs. I do own one of the books, though….

**Chapter Eleven:**

His surroundings shook with the movement of the car. His wrists ached from attempting to escape from the handcuffs even though he knew that the attempt was futile. He tried to kick out, but his feet only had a foot or so of room to move and he couldn't generate enough force to do any damage. He had wiggled and squirmed, trying to escape the confines of the trunk, but he couldn't.

After what seemed like ages, he felt the car pull onto a different road. This road was bumpier, making the ride even more painful. He was jerked around when the car hit what he presumed was a pothole. His head bounced off the floor of the trunk and he winced in pain.

He wished that this was a dream. That he would wake up and nothing bad would have happened. Warrick would never have been framed for murder or shot, Hank would've been alright, and Sara wouldn't have been kidnapped. But, the pain proved that this was the bitter reality.

Gil Grissom wasn't dreaming.

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Hank had hobbled to the door, scratching on it and barking. The dog's normally white paws and underbelly where stained a reddish pink from the wound in his leg. His high-pitched whine cut through the silence of the early morning. His owners had disappeared with a strange man, and Hank didn't like it.

He continued trying to dig a hole through the door when finally the lady next door who watched him when Grissom was away came to see what was wrong. The nice old lady had a key to the house and she opened the door after knocking and waiting. Hank was practically delirious with happiness when he saw her. She saw the shot in his leg and called the police.

Hank was brought to the vet and the bullet was extracted and his leg was stitched and bandaged. He had to wear one of those torturous cones on his head so he wouldn't pull out his stitches. But, he was safe at the vet's.

CSICSICSICSI

Visiting hours had started at the hospital and Catherine, Lindsey, Nick, Greg, Brass, and Doc Robbins were keeping Warrick company. Catherine slipped into the hall while Warrick and Nick argued about something silly, like who the best car manufacturer was. She pulled out her phone and dialed Grissom's cell phone. After four rings, the phone went to voice mail. She left a brief message to call her. For some reason, the phone going unanswered made her nervous.

After debating with herself for a moment, she called his house phone. Another four rings. Another message telling her to leave her own. She hesitated and left another message, telling him to call her when he got the message. She quickly looked up Sara's number and called her. Straight to voice mail. Catherine shook her head and convinced herself that it was nothing. The two of them were probably out to breakfast or dinner, or just sleeping. Nothing to be worried about.

The blonde went back into Warrick's room where her presence hadn't been missed in the short time she was gone. She glanced at her watch. It was five o'clock. Hopefully Grissom and Sara would arrive soon.

At five thirty, Catherine left with Lindsey, insisting that they both needed to go home. Warrick regretfully watched the two of them leave. He had only kissed Catherine on the cheek, making sure that rumours wouldn't get started already. They exchanged brief goodbyes, not saying much. But Catherine's smile said so much more than words ever could.

CSICSICSICSICSICSI

Undersheriff Jeff McKeen drove. His knuckles were white where he gripped the steering wheel. His breathing was quick and he struggled for control. This was _not _supposed to happen! Sidle had left Grissom, for Christ's sake! She had to come back and ruin everything. He would be lucky if his plan worked now.

He took the route he had planned earlier that morning to the abandoned warehouse. He had pocketed Sidle's phone right before putting her in the car. He would use it to lure Brown to him. He took a deep breath and imagined the scenario once again.

Brown woke up and found a phone in his hand. He frowned, not knowing how it had gotten there. A sticky note on it said, "Check the voicemail." So, he did. On it was a robotic voice. "I have Gilbert Grissom and Sara Sidle. If you ever want to see them again, you will listen to my directions and follow them to the letter. No police will be notified. If you notify the police, I will kill them. You will come alone. If you do not, they will be killed. If you tell anybody about this, they will be killed.

"_You will go to the train station. Under the bench in front of the sign advertising the new X-Files movie, you will find a cellphone. Dial speed dial two for more instructions. If you are wired, they will be killed." A pause followed. _

"_You will want proof of life. As of now, the two of them are alive."_

_The voice disappeared and another voice replaced it. He knew that voice well. "Warrick?" Sidle would say, terrified. "Warrick, don't do this! He'll—"_

_And the voice cut her off, "Sara Sidle is alive for now."_

_Grissom's voice came on right after. "Warrick, listen to me, call the poli—"_

_Again, the voice interrupted. "Come alone."_

Undersheriff McKeen felt a little better knowing that his plan couldn't possibly go wrong. However, nabbing Sidle had been a hitch. Oh well. He would use it to his advantage. The two of them were in love, right? And he could use that as leverage between them.

He continued to drive, intent on his plan.

CSICSICSICSICSI

The police were going over Grissom's town house. They were inspecting it as an animal cruelty case. It was late in the afternoon before anyone had notified them that Grissom worked in the crimelab. Their investigation changed, looking at it as a possible kidnapping. They noticed the food left on the stove and that both Sara and Grissom had left their wallets and IDs in the house.

Someone finally had the decency to call Captain Jim Brass.

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Brass was angry. No, angry wasn't right. He was _pissed_. No one had told him about Grissom. It was six o'clock and the last time Grissom and Sara had been seen was almost twelve hours before hand. There was an unbelievable amount of suspects. Together, Grissom and Sara had aided in putting away over two hundred criminals. There were also the criminal's families and the families and victims who hadn't gotten justice.

It was impossible. Ecklie's team had the bullet pulled from the dog's leg and they were analyzing it. However, his ballistic's expert said that it could "take a while". Brass had given the lab rat "the look" and the lab rat scampered off to analyze it. He channeled his anger, trying to make it run cold instead of burn hot. Inside, he was raging. He wanted to grab Ecklie and shake him until his team worked faster. On the exterior, he was calm and collected. He gave cold stares instead of yelling. He surprised even himself.

The worst thing would happen when the night shift arrived. Ecklie had the entire lab working overtime and night shift would quickly learn what had happened to their supervisor. Questions would be asked and Brass didn't have the answers. And he _hated _not having the answers.

CSICSICSICSI

They had been driving for hours. Sara could tell because the sun had risen and the heat of the day was approaching. She couldn't stop worrying about Hank. Her dog had been shot. He could be okay, but you could never tell. What if no one found him? What if—she stopped her thoughts abruptly. She had to concentrate on her situation now. She had to get out. The thing was, she couldn't leave without Grissom.

The bindings on her wrists were tied tightly and were beginning to cut off circulation in her hands. She had been using her teeth to loosen them and had succeeded slightly. However, there was nothing she could do. The undersheriff was paranoid and kept glancing at her nervously.

Her heart beat faster when the undersheriff pulled the car over and got out. By now it was mid day and the heat was beginning to become suffocating. She heard the trunk open first and prayed to a god that she only half believed in that Grissom was fine. After a few moments, the trunk was slammed closed. The door next to Sara's feet was opened and the undersheriff leaned over and pulled Sara into a sitting position. He sliced the ropes on her feet, leaving the ones on her wrist intact. He ordered her out of the car and she complied, stumbling as she tried to stand.

She saw Grissom standing there, looking worse than she felt. He had been crammed in the trunk and she knew from experience that it was unpleasant to say the least. The undersheriff had untied Grissom's ankles, making it possible for him to walk. Sara was shoved along at the point of the gun harshly. McKeen was calmer than before, but he was still angry. Grissom followed the pair, stumbling at points on his half asleep legs. Eventually, they reached an abandoned building.

Sara took stock of her surroundings, remembering how far it was from the road and good places to hide. She knew that Grissom would do the same. She heard him stumble again and her heart broke. She turned along with McKeen and saw Grissom lying facedown in the dirt. Sara made a move to help him, but McKeen angrily jerked her back.

"Get up!" he ordered. Grissom started to push himself up and Sara noticed that he was bleeding slightly. After Grissom finally stood, the undersheriff ordered him into the building first, following moments later with Sara.

CSICSICSI

Catherine was last to arrive at work that evening. It struck her as odd to see that the entire day shift was still working frantically. What was even more odd was that Grissom wasn't in his office. She headed to the break room and spotted Greg and Nick; both of them sat somberly at the table.

She opened the door wider and it revealed Brass sitting silently, slightly hidden. "What's going on? Where's Grissom?"

Greg and Nick exchanged glances and looked pointedly at Brass. The captain heaved a sigh and began, "Sometime after Grissom and Sara arrived home from the hospital, their dog was shot. The two of them are now missing. They have been missing for over twelve hours." Catherine's heart sunk. "Also, I was not informed that they were missing until a few hours ago."

Catherine stopped hearing everything. Her mind numbed with shock as she tried to absorb what Brass was telling her. Her vision swam and she felt her pulse pounding in her ears. Her only thought was, "_Oh, God…" _

"Catherine?" Brass asked, pulling her back into reality. "We have everyone working on this. We will find them."

_Just like you find Warrick's shooter? _She thought in spite.

"The day shift is processing evidence from Grissom's house. They have the bullet that they shot the dog with."

"Hank," she corrected.

"What?"

"The dog's name is Hank, Jim."

"Err… Right. They have the bullet that the bastard shot Hank with."

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Is Hank okay?"

Brass smiled for the first time since he got the news. Well, it was a half smile, but it still counted, right? "Yeah, Cat. He's fine."

"Where is he?"

"Grissom's office. Figured he was better off here than in some shelter."

Catherine nodded. Greg spoke up, "Do we have any cases?" His voice was soft, almost tentative. He needed something to take his mind off of Grissom and Sara.

Nick fixed him with a piercing glare, making Greg move his chair away an inch or so. "No," Brass answered. "All cases will be dealt with by other forensics teams from Las Vegas until Grissom and Sara are returned safely." He looked around the room at the grim faces of his forensics team. They were down too many people. Sara, Grissom, and Warrick were all unable to be here. And it showed how much the team relied on each other. Half of their team was incapacitated and they all had no motivation.

Then and there Brass decided that he _had _to get them back. No matter whose toes he had to step on. No matter what it took, he would bring them back safely. And Brass never broke a promise.

**Okay, I know I'm a very bad, mean, evil person for not updating sooner. And again, I apologize. And, I also thank you for reading. Please review? My story is almost over. I probably won't post this until tomorrow because my Internet is being AGRAVATING! Erg. It won't do anything. I try to check my email and it takes five minutes to even begin loading the page. I think I'll go read a book and hopefully the internet will be working when I come back…**


	12. Chapter 12

Denial

Denial

A/N: Okay, I'm probably going to finish this chapter like in a few days… Anyways, enough of that. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! They really do make me smile… And, thanks to everyone who is still reading. I feel my story spiraling down towards an ending. I was wondering if anyone is interested in a sequel?

**Disclaimer: If I owned CSI, Sara would've only changed shift. And she would've married Grissom. Since that didn't happen, I clearly don't own CSI.**

**Chapter Twelve**

_The phone was placed on Brown's bedside table while he slept. On it was a note saying: Check your voicemail. And when Brown woke up, he did just that. _

You have one new message. Received Friday, 11:23 am, _a robotic voice informed him._

_Another voice, equally robotic, but much more menacing came on._

I have Gilbert Grissom and Sara Sidle. If you ever want to see them again, you will go to the train station outside the hospital. You will walk to a bench. Sit on the bench beneath the sign that advertises the new X-Files movie. Underneath the seat will be another cell phone. Instructions will be on the cell phone. Also, do not involve the police. If you do, they will die. If you tell anyone else where you are going, they will die. Disobey my directions and they will die.

_The voice stopped talking and finished with: _You have until seven pm to get the phone. _The message ended. Brown hung up the phone. _

_He leaped out of bed, grabbing the clothes that Greg had brought him earlier that day. He ran to the phone at five pm. The phone told him to take the train out of Las Vegas. And he did._

CSICSICSICSI

The Undersheriff swooped in at the start of the night shift. It was now nine o'clock. His directions for Warrick would keep the man occupied for several hours. He needed this time to keep up appearances. He spoke quickly to Brass, finally letting the fury of him messing up show. He pretended to be furious that this had happened while he was really furious that the damn dog had lived and barked, causing neighbors to call the police.

Brass believed him and apologized profusely. McKeen rather enjoyed this, thinking that he was at least being entertained. After speaking to Brass, McKeen went to talk to the team who sat shell-shocked in the break room. He smiled inwardly, knowing that they would be much more somber after they found the bodies of Brown, Sidle, and Grissom.

His plan, which had been ruined, was rather successful. After all, he had gone to "visit" Brown and found that his bed was empty. Having both Grissom and Sidle also proved advantageous. He was able to use the other as leverage when one of them decided to be a pain. He remembered it well…

_He tied Sidle to a chair while Grissom stood behind her. He was furious. McKeen was almost smiling in delight. Finally, he would have success. Sure, he didn't really want to kill Grissom, but he had to. He hadn't really wanted to kill Brown either. This time, though, he would get it right. _

_McKeen forced Grissom into a chair on the other side of the room. He bound him to the chair tightly, making sure all his knots were secure. He walked to his carefully laid out tools and pulled out a large pair of scissors. He approached Sidle first, enjoying watching her squirm. _

_Instead of chopping off a finger or something equally gruesome, he cut off a lock of hair. He placed it almost gently in a plastic bag before walking over to Grissom. Instead of taking some of his hair, he took the scissors and ran them along his cheek. Blood appeared, dripping down his face. _

_The Undersheriff smirked as Sidle barely smothered a whimper of terror in a cough. He placed the scissors next to the hair in the bag. He placed the plastic bag in a brown paper bag and added a disposable cell phone. He then recorded his messages._

CSICSICSI

Warrick was taking yet another train. It was nine thirty and he had received several different instructions. He thought that it was so that he would lose anyone who was tailing him. Under the last seat, he found a lock of hair and a pair of scissors with blood on them. The hair was Sara's. He had no idea who the blood belonged to.

The mystery caller, which he assumed was his shooter, had just promised him better proof of life. He promised to let him talk to one of his prisoners. But the caller never said which one.

Warrick was terrified, of course. He could barely help himself from calling Catherine and assembling the troops. He knew that Grissom and Sara were going to die. He knew that he was going to die. But at least he could die knowing that he had tried to save them. That he had done everything he could to protect two of his best friends.

CSICSICSICSI

Catherine called Warrick shortly after the undersheriff left. When he didn't answer his personal phone, she called the hospital. They checked his room and reported that he was missing. Catherine stopped breathing and she could've sworn that her heart had stopped for a moment. She hung up and took a deep breath, trying to smother the panic that was rising in her chest.

"Brass!" she called out. She ran out of the break room, searching the building for Brass. "Brass!" she called him again. She continued to call his name, getting more and more desperate each time. By the time she found him, she was nearly hysterical.

"Catherine?" he asked her, confused by her current state.

Between gasps of breath, she tried to explain. "Warrick-missing. Nurses can't-can't find him… I called-no answer. The-the person who-who has Griss-Grissom and…. Sara, has-he has Warr-Warrick." Catherine felt hot tears course down her face. She would _not _lose him! Not after she had come so close to becoming more than just friends with him. She buried her face in her hands, overcome with fear for three people.

Grissom was her best friend. Sure, he was weird. He ate chocolate covered grasshoppers for Christ's sake! But, still, he was her best friend…

And then there was Sara. Sara was sweet and sour all at the same time. She could be sweet and talk to Catherine for hours or she could argue with her for eternity. In her own weird way, Sara had won her place as one of Catherine's "extended family members."

Warrick. Could she even start on him? He made her laugh. He also made her cry. When he had gotten married, her heart had smashed into a million tiny pieces. And he also made her feel wanted. When they lay in the hospital together, they were content to listen to each other breathe and to feel each other's pulse.

But they were all missing. Gone. And she may never see them again. And that tore her apart inside.

**A/N: I know, really short chapter, but I thought that this was a good place to end it. Please review? I'd like to say that I finished this chapter the same day as chapter eleven. Just an FYI to say that I haven't completely forgotten about this story… I'm going to start working on the next chapter right now! So, remember my darling readers, reviews are love! And I love them… Almost as much as the Hershey kisses stashed in my desk…**


	13. Chapter 13

Denial

Denial

A/N: Wow, aren't you proud of me? This makes three chapters in one day. Sometimes I amaze myself. Oh yeah, sorry if chapter 11 was kind of confusing… The Grissom/Sara/McKeen stuff is happening during the day, like early in the morning. So, I guess you could consider those flashbacks?

**Disclaimer: If I owned CSI, I wouldn't torture you guys so much with cliff hanger season finales. Wait… Never mind, I would. But I still don't own CSI. I do own one of the CSI books. Well… I guess it could be considered three because it's actually three books in one big book… cough Anyways, on with the story!**

**Chapter Thirteen**

_It was well past noon. Grissom and Sara were still tied to their respective chairs. And both of them were searching for a way out. McKeen had been gone for at least half an hour with a promise to return. They had both fallen asleep for fitful naps, exhausted. The heat wasn't helping their situation. The warehouse (Sara assumed it was a warehouse, but she couldn't be sure) had no air conditioning and the sun was brutally shining in through the dirty windows._

_Currently, Grissom was sound asleep. He had had a rougher time. Sara had been thrown in the back seat while Grissom was bounced around in the trunk. She surveyed the location for the millionth time. The walls were dirty and brown. She assumed that they had once looked nice, but now they looked dingy. The windows were high off the ground—and impossible escape. _

_One door sat unguarded, but there was no telling where that lead. The main door was on the opposite side, bolted from the outside. She knew this because McKeen had cockily told them all about his brilliant plans. He was the one who shot Warrick. He was the one who was going to kill Warrick. And he was the one who would kill them. And he expressed that he wasn't sure which to kill first. _

_He had told her that he would probably kill Warrick first, just to get it out of the way. And then he would maybe torture the two and then kill one, allow the other to mourn their lover's loss and then kill them too. And he said that no one would ever know what happened to them. It would be assumed that Warrick had kidnapped Sara and Grissom, or that Grissom and Sara had a domestic dispute that got out of hand and Warrick had just vanished. _

_He told her that he had planted enough evidence at the lab in order to make any of these scenarios seem real. He had smiled at her when he told her all this, enjoying her look of horror. She could barely believe that this man was really an undersheriff. _

_But he was gone again, and Sara tried with everything she had to escape so that she and Grissom could live to be married. She wanted desperately for everything to go back to the way it was a year ago. Before the miniature killer decided that Grissom had to pay. They were happy just to be together and they never thought that anything could happen that would take them away from each other. _

_She finally fell asleep, dreaming about her wedding to Grissom after all this was over._

CSICSICISCSI

Jim Brass was on his feet the moment Catherine stopped talking. He pulled out his phone, ordering Ecklie to call in another shift of CSIs who could process Warrick's hospital room. He then called Sofia Curtis, instructing her to oversee the processing of the hospital room.

After hanging up his phone, he looked at Catherine. She was pale as a ghost and her breathing was shallow and uneven. "Cat?" he asked softly. No response. "Catherine?" louder this time. She barely blinked. He waved a hand in front of her face and she frowned, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

She looked up at him, her dark blue eyes full of fear. "We're not going to find them…" she told him. Her voice was emotionless and her face lacked expression. It was as if she was dead on the inside. The only thing that proved that she was alive was the emotion shining in her eyes. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Catherine," he looked straight at her, trying to convince himself as much as her, "we _will _find them. We will get the bastard who did this and he will fry. I promise you that, Catherine." She merely nodded and attempted a smile, failing miserable. She left, headed to tell Greg and Nick about this new development.

Brass watched her leave. Catherine was the bravest, most stubborn person he knew. She was up there with Sara and when Sara got her teeth into something, she never let it go. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He tried to separate his feelings about Warrick, Sara, and Gil from the case. He knew that he had to be objective. He ran a hand over his face, guilty about what he had told Catherine.

He told her that they would find them. He never told her that they would find them alive. He knew that she was in need of comfort and offered it as much as he could. He had lied by omission. Brass inhaled deeply and tried to control his emotions. He knew that the chances of finding all three of them alive were very, very slim. The odds were that all three of them would be dead by the morning.

Without them, the nightshift would be at half strength. They would never be able to recover from such a heavy blow. He thought that they would fall apart when Sara left, but they had held together. With Warrick in the hospital, their relationship was strained. But they hadn't broken. But with Warrick, Sara, and Grissom all dead, the night shift would break apart.

His phone rang and he answered it absently. "Brass," he sounded like he wished that cell phones had never been invented.

"_Captain Jim Brass? This is Undersheriff McKeen."_

"Sir."

"_Am I right to understand that now Warrick Brown is also missing?"_

"Yes, sir."

"_Why were we not informed of this earlier, Captain?"_

"Sir, I was just informed of this myself. I was under the impression that they didn't do bed checks at night in order to make sure that the patient could sleep after an injury."

"_Confirm it." _The undersheriff sounded angry beyond all reason to Brass.

"Of course, sir. I have detectives and CSI there right now."

"_Good. Find them, Captain. They are our people. It's bad enough that Brown's shooter wasn't found, now this. Find them or it's your head, Brass," _the undersheriff growled the last part.

"Of course sir."

"_Good. I won't waste any more of your time. Call me if you get an update."_

"Of course, sir. You'll be the first to know."

The undersheriff hung up.

CSICSICSICSI

Jeff McKeen was grinning. The ball was in motion. He hung up with Brass and unlocked the car. He put the key in the ignition and a map on the passenger's seat. He climbed out of the car and shut the door. The last step in Brown's little "scavenger hunt" was to drive this car to the warehouse. He headed back there, but not before sticking two pictures on the windshield. One was of Sara, holding the newspaper and the other was a similar photo of Grissom.

He opened the door to his own car and drove back to the warehouse, taking his gun with him. He felt his pulse race as he neared his destination. He could barely contain his excitement. He would finally be rid of Brown. And, he would have lots of fun torturing Grissom and Sidle. She had to ruin his plans by being there. And Grissom was always causing him trouble at work. So, he figured that this would play out to his advantage. He would leave Brown in some abandoned hole somewhere.

As for Grissom and Sidle? He would maybe beat Sidle up a bit; make it look like Grissom was pushing her around. He kills her and, ridden with guilt, Grissom commits suicide. Nice and clean. He would put the bodies in a park somewhere. They would be found and it would be called a murder suicide. No one would ever know that they had been kidnapped and used for bait.

No. McKeen had made sure to cover all of his tracks.

A/N: See?? Aren't you guys proud of me? I mean, I wrote three chapters in one day. I think it's a pretty successful day. Please review. It really makes me happy to see that people enjoyed my story enough that they would take some time to review… It doesn't have to be long or heart felt or anything. You could just bang on your keyboard for all I care… So, please review?

**P.S. There will probably be one more chapter then an epilogue. **

**P.P.S. (or maybe P.S.S.?) Tell me if you're interested in a sequel! I already have ideas, but if no one's interested, I'll make them separate stories. **


	14. Chapter 14

Denial

**Denial**

**A/N: **Okay, I know I updated late. Again. I'm sorry! I promise to try my best to update, but sometimes it's hard to get enough time alone to really write.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned CSI, Warrick would never have married Tina and he would've been dating/engaged/married to Catherine. Seeing as that didn't happen, I clearly don't own CSI.

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Warrick had been running around in circles for hours. One message had simply told him to wait at the train station until the midnight train. Midnight finally rolled around and Warrick took yet another train. The bandage around his neck was causing him difficulty. He could barely turn his head without being in severe pain. Having his right arm in a sling hindered him more than slightly. He could only use his left hand and that made everything more difficult.

The train pulled into the station and Warrick looked under the bench as instructed. There was another bag, but no cell phone. Instead was a note. The note read, _Walk two miles north of the train station. You will come across a dirt road. Follow the road for another quarter mile and you will find a red car. Open the door. The keys are in the ignition and a map is on the passenger's seat. If you notify the police, I will shoot them._

Warrick sighed, exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open but he knew that he was close. He tried to refrain from closing his eyes, but he felt like he was about to pass out. He walked the direction he was told to go and walked by a gas station. He stopped there and purchased an energy drink and some peanuts.

Warrick walked North, drinking and eating as he went.

CSICSICSICSI

"BRASS!" one of Ecklie's techs yelled. He had found something. Brass, who was sitting in the break room, appeared at the tech's side almost instantly.

"What is it?"

"Warrick's credit card was used to purchase an energy drink and some peanuts at a gas station."

"Where?"

The tech gave him the address and Brass bolted, Catherine following right behind him.

CSICSICSI

Warrick finally came to the dirt road at 1:30. The walk had been slow because he was exhausted and he kept stumbling. Turns out that the man who had shot him wanted him to walk through a desert, making travel difficult. The dirt road was much easier to navigate.

After exactly a quarter mile, he saw the red car. It was old and insignificant. It looked like someone had just given up on it and left it sitting, dead, at the side of the road. There were two pieces of paper on the windshield. He grabbed them and his heart beat faster when he looked at them. One was of Grissom, who looked terrible, holding a newspaper. The other was of Sara. She was holding the same newspaper, dated yesterday.

Warrick leaned against the car, breathing deep. He pushed the feelings of panic to the back of his mind, refusing to acknowledge it. After lowering his heart beat, he opened the car door. The map sat, as promised, on the passenger's seat. He looked at it before turning on the car. The map told him to go straight and that's what he did.

CSICSICSICSI

"Have you seen this man?" Brass asked the gas station attendant. The boy was no older than 20 and looked terrified of Brass.

"Um… he come in long time ago. He buy food and drink," the boy told Catherine in broken English. He looked like he was fresh from across the border and saw Catherine as more understanding then Brass.

"Do you remember when?" Catherine asked, her voice the opposite of Brass's. Brass had been the classic cop: mean and loud. Catherine was sweet and motherly and the boy opened up to her.

He nodded, smiling slightly. "I remember. He here when news come on. I remember to watch for people I know." He looked proud of himself when he remembered. "He here at midnight. Just after midnight."

Catherine smiled her sweet smile, "Thank you. Do you remember what he bought?"

The boy nodded, his smile growing. "Yes. He buy drink and peanuts."

"Thank you for your help. I'm just going to look around, okay?" Again the boy nodded.

Brass checked out the drinks, searching for anything that Warrick would have left behind, while Catherine checked the snacks. She looked under the box of Hershey chocolate bars (which happened to be her favorite) and found a piece of paper. She instantly recognized Warrick's untidy scrawl.

"Brass!" she called. Brass looked up, sending her a "what do you have?" look. "Note from Warrick." He was over there in a blink of an eye. One side of the note had a note from Warrick to Catherine while the other had directions.

The note read, _Catherine, he took Grissom and Sara. Though, I'm sure you know this now. He led me around train stations all night. This was his last note. All the other information I got from came on disposable cell phones and I figured that people were less likely to steal a piece of paper then a cell phone. I'm fine. Do not worry about me. I have to go save Sara and Grissom. I'm still not quite sure what he wants, but I have to save them._

_You have no idea how much I wanted to call you. But, you are the police, Cat, and if I called the police, they would die. I know that I will probably die anyways and so will they, but I couldn't bring myself to get the police to help. If this man wants me dead, he'll do anything to kill me. I'm just glad that you and Lindsey are safe. Please don't be angry with me, Catherine. I don't want to do this but I can't let Sara and Grissom die because of me. _

_You have no idea how much I love you. Tell Lindsey that I love her, too. I'm sorry, Catherine._

_Love, _

_Warrick._

Catherine was in tears by the end of the note. Warrick was going on a suicide mission.

CSICSICSI

At two am, exactly, Warrick arrived at the warehouse. He parked the ancient car and swallowed painfully. His heart was beating annoyingly fast and his breathing was aggravatingly shaky. He pulled open the door of the warehouse, mentally preparing himself for death.

CSICSICSICSI

McKeen was in the warehouse, tracking the car with the GPS he had hidden under the seat. The car was almost here. He pulled on gloves and took out the gun. Sara was awake and glaring at him. Grissom, however, was barely conscious and would have fallen to the floor if he hadn't been tied to the chair.

McKeen could barely contain his excitement as he saw the car stop just outside the windows. He released the safety on the gun just as Warrick opened the door.

CSICSICSI

Warrick heard the release of a safety on a gun just as Sara screamed for him to move. And he did. He threw himself to the right, landing painfully on his arm. He looked up and saw Undersheriff Jeff McKeen. His eyes widened as the flood of memories flew back at him. _The undersheriff wanted to talk to him, so Warrick rolled down his window. They talked about how great of a CSI he was and then the undersheriff shot him twice in cold blood. _

McKeen was angry that he had missed. He turned to fix Sara with a piercing glare. She returned it with equal hostility. _That's my girl, _Warrick thought, proud of Sara for not giving up. Warrick thought quickly. McKeen was distracted for a moment, focusing his attention on Sara instead of him. Thoughts of what to do were lightening fast in his head as he decided what to do.

Warrick lunged at McKeen, tackling him awkwardly. The gun went off and Sara screamed. The two men fought for a while before the gun went off again. This time the bullet was in McKeen. The undersheriff looked surprised more then anything as he felt the hole in his chest. Warrick was stunned; terrified that he had killed him. Sure, it was self-defense, but the man was the _undersheriff. _

After pausing for a moment, he ran to untie Sara, who was closest. She tried to run across the room to Grissom, but fell on her face instead. Her legs had fallen asleep making walking impossible and running unthinkable. Warrick untied Grissom as she made her way to her love.

Grissom's forehead was hot with a fever and his leg looked bent in an unnatural way. "Gil," Sara whispered, trying to get his attention. Grissom barely responded, sick from the fever. Tears ran down Sara's face as she looked at his leg. He had a nasty scratch on it and the wound looked infected. She turned her eyes to Warrick, who sat on the floor. Blood was soaking through his bandages on his chest, forcing him to remain immobile. "Warrick," she said it a little louder but just as terrified.

"Left… clues…. Catherine… Find us," he said as he tried to breath.

Sara, Warrick, and Grissom sat on the floor together, Sara trying desperately to keep the men awake. They had gone all this way to remain alone and injured in an abandoned warehouse. Sara just hoped that they wouldn't die here.

CSICSICSI

After arguing for a long time, the techs at the lab had figured out the most likely places where Sara and Grissom would be. The first stop was a warehouse. As Brass drove, Catherine navigated. They searched eight buildings before finally coming to a warehouse with two cars near it.

On the way to the warehouse door, there were four letters scrawled in the dirt. _GG SS_ Catherine smiled. They had found the right place. Brass kicked down the already broken door and shone his flashlight around the room. One body lay on the ground, covered in blood. Three people were sitting on the opposite side of the room. Catherine's heart stopped as she ran to them. Warrick's side was bleeding and he was unconscious and Grissom looked just as bad.

Sara was desperately trying to help even though she herself was dehydrated. Catherine didn't hear Brass call an ambulance and she didn't see him check the pulse on the body. All she cared about was Warrick, Grissom, and Sara. Catherine quickly checked each of them, starting with Warrick. He looked like he had torn his stitches. The amount of blood worried her.

She looked at Grissom and saw that his leg was at least fractured. She felt his forehead and was nearly scalded. He was definitely infected. She looked at Sara, the only conscious one. She looked fine except for a few scrapes and bruises. Catherine only noticed that the EMTs had arrived when she felt them pulling Warrick out of her arms. She rode with Warrick to the hospital in one ambulance with Sara and Grissom in the second one.

Brass drove quickly behind the ambulances to the hospital with his lights flashing and sirens on full blast. He didn't care if they woke up the entire city. He had to make sure that Grissom, Sara, and Warrick were safe.

The ambulances arrived at the hospital and Grissom and Warrick were whisked away into separate ORs. Sara was checked in the main part of the ER and was found to be severely dehydrated. They put her in a room almost instantly, hooking her up to all sorts of liquids. Catherine waited with Sara for news about their boys.

The two of them cried when the doctors told them the news.

**A/N: **Okay, I know I am being mean. :) It's fun, though. And this way you will review because you'll be like "OMG UPDATE SOON!!" and if you do, then I will. But, is it a "yay! They survived!" cry or a "Nooooooo! He can't be dead!" cry? The main question is: Can I kill Warrick or Grissom?

**P.S. I want to know if you want a sequel. Please tell me if you do!!**


	15. Epilogue

Denial

Denial

**A/N: **I regret to inform you that this is the last chapter. I can't believe it's done. Thank you all for your reviews and thank you to everyone who added this story to their alerts list or favorite story. It really brightens my day to see that my story has been reviewed/favorited/alerted. Okay, enough with the sappy stuff.

Anyways, it was difficult for me to decide what happens. I mean, I could kill Warrick or Grissom. Or I could have the undersheriff live. There were a ton of different combinations that I thought about, and I finally decided on my original idea. Oh yeah, and all the medical stuff is going to be 99.999 fake. (there's still a chance I'll guess something right) And I probably have dates mixed up. But bear with me.

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI. If I did, then Billy Petersen would NOT be quitting! (did anyone else hear that he's leaving the show? Yeah. So, no more Grissom. He's going to remain as an executive producer, though. BUT NO GRISSOM?? It'll be terrible…)

**Epilogue**

Two months later

It was August. The days were getting shorter and the weather was cooling off. He sat there with his arm around the woman he loved. She was beautiful and he couldn't think of any place he'd rather be. His other arm was around her daughter. Lindsey. She was just as pretty as her mom. And he loved her just as much.

Warrick sat on a bench. His neck had healed and his stitches in his chest were mostly healed. The doctors told him not to run off on his own doing stupid things for a while, but they were able to take his arm out of the sling. The three of them were sitting in court. Sara was testifying against the undersheriff.

Former Undersheriff Jeff McKeen was sitting at the defendant's table, glaring at Sara. He had, sadly, recovered from his injuries and was fit to stand trial. He still looked awful. He had difficulty breathing and one of his lungs had collapsed on the way to the hospital, nearly killing him. But that bastard had lived.

Sara stepped down, moving to sit next to Catherine. She looked shaken from having to relive that night, but she was trying her best to keep it together. The next witness was none other then Gil Grissom. His leg had healed, but he walked with a limp. He told the jury about how McKeen had broken into his home and kidnapped him and his fiancée. And how the bastard shot Hank.

He told them how he was thrown in the trunk and how his leg had snapped on their way to the warehouse. He told them how McKeen threatened them and tied them to chairs. How he had set up an elaborate scheme to bring Warrick to the warehouse to kill him. The jury was silent as Grissom continued to testify. After Warrick shot McKeen, the rest was a blur and the ADA finished his direct.

The defense attorney stood for his cross. He asked Grissom how he knew it was McKeen. He then asked if McKeen had killed anyone. Grissom said that it did not matter if McKeen succeeded, but only that he had attempted with near fatal results. The attorney had nothing else and thanked Grissom.

Grissom sat next to Sara, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, holding his hand. The trial had been going on for a few days and the courtroom was packed with law enforcement and the press. Next week, the detective that worked as McKeen's messenger would be in court on accessory charges. That detective was currently testifying against McKeen to get a reduced sentence.

CSICSICSI

A week later, the jury had finally made their decisions. The courtroom was filled with people, both civilian and law enforcement, who were eager to hear the verdict.

The jury filed in silently. When they all sat, the judge spoke. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The foreman of the jury stood up. "We have, your Honor."

"On the count of the attempted murder of Warrick Brown, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty, your Honor."

"On the count of the kidnapping of Gil Grissom in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty, your Honor."

"On the count of the kidnapping Sara Sidle in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty, your Honor."

The judge banged her gavel. "Sentencing will be in the morning." With that, she left the courtroom. McKeen looked shocked. He still hadn't moved since the foreman had first uttered the word "guilty."

Grissom, Catherine, Sara, Warrick, and Lindsey, however, were ecstatic about the results. McKeen would be in prison for life, with no chance of parole. Maybe it didn't make up for all he had done, but at least he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

CSICSICSI

Sara and Gil were sitting on the couch, watching some boring movie that they weren't really paying attention to. They were both just enjoying each other's company, relishing every moment they had together. The movie ended and they continued to watch the credits.

"We should get married," Sara said out of the blue.

Gil looked down at her, his surprise evident. "Right now?"

Sara grinned her famous grin. "Not now. Soon."

"Oh."

"You don't want to?" her grin faded into a look of concern.

"No! I do. It's just… sudden."

"Why not? I mean, we both love each other. This way, it'll be official."

Gil grinned. "We don't need a piece of paper to show that we love each other."

"I know that. It's just so we can frame it." The grin was back.

"When do you want to get married, then?"

"Dunno. Maybe we should ask Catherine. I know nothing about weddings."

"Okay, we'll ask Catherine in the morning."

"Let's go to bed," she told him, standing up. She pulled him up after her, dragging him to the bedroom.

Hank was sound asleep on the bed, his leg completely healed. "Hank, move," Gil commanded and the dog barked in quiet rebellion before jumping off the bed, landing expertly on the carpet. "Good night," Grissom told her when they were in bed. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

CSICSICSI

Since he was released from the hospital, Warrick had lived with Catherine and Lindsey. Of course, he slept in the spare bedroom. Lindsey, currently, was asleep—well, she was supposed to be asleep. She was actually on the phone, chatting with her best friend. That left Warrick and Catherine alone downstairs.

They had been "official" with the lab since Warrick was in the hospital the second time. No one mentioned it, however, and Ecklie still hadn't figured it out. So, they were still aloud to work the same shift. Warrick was forced to be a lab rat for a week or two more before the doctors said that he was ready for fieldwork.

The two of them had never felt more in love. They were a family already. With Eddie and Tina, the two of them had fallen hard and fast. But both of them had been disappointed. Eddie was just trouble and Tina had cheated on Warrick and gotten pregnant with another man's baby. But Warrick and Catherine loved each other. They had known each other for so long that they always knew what the other was thinking.

The best thing, though, was when Catherine watched Warrick with Lindsey. He was always patient and encouraging. He acted like a better father then Eddie had been. And Lindsey loved him, which was important.

Yes. Catherine really loved Warrick.

And Warrick loved her back.

**A/N: **Okay! Well that's the end. Sorry if it was short… I didn't know what else to write. Oh yeah, and sorry for the overly cheesy stuff. I wanted to end the story on a happy note, though. So, how many of you thought I would kill someone? Be honest! I, myself, was shocked that I allowed McKeen to live. I mean, he tried to kill Warrick! Twice! I don't know what's come over me… Please please PLEASE review! I mean, it is the last chapter, so you should feel obligated to review. :)

**PS: Who wants a sequel? I have plans for one. I will probably write the first chapter in a few days, but then updates may be scarce because I am going on vacation soon. So, tell me if you want a sequel. Tell me if you're **_**against **_**a sequel, too. **


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